Damaged People
by Scardie Kat
Summary: Stefani Walsh adds more dysfunction to the group of Atlanta survivors. First there's the love/hate relationship between her and older brother Shane, and the casual fling with a certain redneck. Here's the story of how one woman's life can change in a matter of moments. Daryl/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Damaged People**

Here's my first attempt at a Walking Dead story. I know there are already a million and four Daryl OC stories out there and just as many with Shane's sister, but I wanted to do this. Hopefully this is at least a little different and can keep everyone interested. I know that Daryl's character may come off as a little occ but honestly i think that before everything went down with Merle he was slowly started to get used to the group at the camp. I also feel that for the purpose of the story, he would feel as though he had a small place among the group. This is going to follow season 1 pretty closely, but I'll try to avoid a lot of rehashing of the script. Let me know what you think and I'll update on the regular.

Summary: In the events of season 1, Stefani Walsh is there to add more disfunction to the group. First there's the love/hate relationship between her and her older brother Shane, and then the casual fling she begins with a certain redneck, not to mention the interactions with the other camp strangers that enter her life. Here's the story of how one woman's life can change in a matter of moments. Daryl/OC

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, no matter how much I wish I did. Stefani and everything in her complicated life came from me!

"Damaged people tend to gravitate towards damaged people." -Norman Reedus

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Carl sat on the hood of his mother's car. Stefani leaned on the bumper beside him, chewing on her finger nails. It was a nervous habit, his mother told him once. If there was ever a time for her to destroy her nails, it would be now. Scooting a little on the hood, he was able to place his arm around her shoulders. The action earned him a loving squeeze and smile from the woman.

She wanted to be strong for the little boy. As strange as it sounded, she felt like she had more in common with the boy than most of the adults in her life. Looking over at him, she saw his father staring back at her. Stefani's heart broke knowing that she was never going to see Rick Grimes again. Carl was all she had left of her closest friend, and constant reminder of the life she'd never have. Glancing over to her left she saw Lori standing with another woman and her daughter, Shane by her side. Stefani hated the thoughts that ran through her head when left with only Carl. All of them seemed to center around the ghost of a man she once knew.

"Why don't you go play with the girl over there? Your mom and hers have been talking for a while." Stefani noticed as he glanced over to where Lori was standing with a woman and her daughter by the back of a station wagon.

"I'm okay here." He said, keeping his hold on her.

"You worried about me, kid?" Stefani asked as she leaned against him. She knew it was a trait that he had picked up from Shane and his father. The two men had been worrying about her since she was Carl's age. "I'm okay, I think I'm going to take a walk and see if anyone knows what's going on."

"I'll come with you." Carl jumped off the car.

"No, really stay with your mom. I'll be fine."

Stefani weaved through the maze of cars looking for anyone that seemed to know what had caused the hold up into the city. She pulled her hair out of the messy bun she had sitting on top of her head and shook out her curly locks. The weather was beginning to cool off as the sun set. She found that there were very few people who seemed to know any more than they did, but it just felt good to be moving. Glancing around, she saw families and loved ones huddled together bracing themselves for the impending apocalypse. A part of her wished she hadn't left hers behind.

Reaching up to touch the charm necklace her mother had given her years ago, panic set in as she felt only skin. The gold chain had slipped from around her neck at some point. She began to slowly trace her steps, keeping her eyes locked on the dark, dirty ground. A heavy weight sat on her chest at the thought of not finding the piece of jewelry and all the memories that were attacted to it.

"Hot damn, will you get a look at that fine ass?" A man's voice washed over her, and she tried her hardest to ignore it and continue on with her task. "You lost, darling?"

"Leave her the fuck alone, Merle."

Stefani turned around to see two men standing next to a beat up blue truck. One leered at her openly, while the other focused more on the cigarette in his hand. She watched them closely, before taking a cautious step forward.

"You two know why the traffic stopped?" She said, placing her hands in her back pockets.

"Don't know a thing, sugar tits." The older one said, his eyes lingering on her chest.

"Well, it was worth a try. Can I bum one of those?" She asked, nodding to the quieter one taking the last drag of his cigarette.

Instead of handing her one, he placed two in his mouth to light. Once he took that initial inhale, he passed one off to her. Stefani nodded her thanks as she breathed in a heavy helping of smoke. It had been years since she had felt that sweet burn of nicotine. It seemed to be an appropriate time to pick the habit back up. Glancing down at the asphalt again, she looked up to find that the man in front of her didn't take his light blue eyes off of her. The older one obviously took the hint as he left mumbling something about taking a leak.

"He you're brother?" She asked placing the cigarette between her lips.

"Yeah, don't do well around people."

"He seems awfully friendly to me." She smiled, blowing out smoke.

There was only silence after that. They stood with each other, smoking until there was nothing left but a filter. Stefani found the silence to be peaceful. It was strange to feel so relaxed and content with a complete stranger. Taking the last drag of her cigarette she let it fall to the ground and stomp it out with the toe of her boot. She knew any moment Shane would come barreling through searching for her.

"I should head back, my brother's probably wondering where I am."

He nodded, watching her walk away from him. There was something about him that made Stefani want to stay, but she knew that the moment his brother came back the illusion would be shattered. Men like him were something that she hoped she would never have to deal with again. Her days of bartending were passed and now it was all about survival. She would never have to put up with the leering and groping ever again.

Again she found herself walking passed people and their loved ones, couples holding each other tight. Times like these made her wish she had a good guy in her life. More to the point, she wished she hadn't pushed the only good guy out of her life all those years ago. Her fingers ran nervously through her hair as she made her way back to Lori's car.

"Where'd you run off too?" Shane asked as she came back into view of the car.

She noticed Carl was on the tailgate of the station wagon while Lori and the other mother continued to talk. Stefani walked up to Shane, slipping an arm around his waist. When all else failed, it was at least nice to know that she could always come running back into her brother's protective arms.

"I needed to stretch my legs and talk to some people, try to see if they knew what was going on." Her hand reached up to her neck again. "I lost mom's necklace."

Shane leaned over and kissed the top of her head. The siblings walked back over to the car where he slipped into the driver's seat and turned the radio on. Stefani sat silently next to him, running her fingers over her naked neck. It felt as though everything this ugly new world had to offer came into view the second that necklace slipped off her neck. Nothing was going to be the same again. She would never see her mother or father again, nor her friends. Things were going to be drastically different.

"Do you think they're okay?" She asked her brother, hoping he knew who she was talking about.

"You want me to lie?"

"Sure," she said turning away from him in order to hide her tears.

"They'll be fine. I'm sure they already made it to Atlanta, probably waiting for us at the refugee center. You know Dad, always ready for anything."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Stefani slipped back out of the car, moving to lean against the hood again. Her eyes scanned the area, almost as if she were searching for someone. She wished she'd gone to find her friends, ever her parents, hell she wished Rick was there with them most of all. As her eyes continued to blindly search the sea of cars, they briefly landed on a pair of icy blue ones. A small smile passed over her lips before she looked away. She realized then that it was his eyes that were drawing her in, they reminded her of the love she used to have for someone completely opposite of the redneck.

Daryl fiddled with the chain in his hand. He knew it probably belonged to her, but for some reason he felt like that was the closest he was ever going to get to her. There was a locket with a black and white photo of a married couple along with two kids, a small ring with a barely visible diamond, and lastly a pendent of a saint he didn't know. She was the kind of girl that he knew would never be into a dirty country boy like him. He slipped the necklace into his pocket before sliding back into the driver's seat. There was a high possibility he would never see her again anyway.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Once everyone was settled in camp, Stefani decided that it was her mission to get the younger Dixon brother to notice her. Sure she'd caught him looking her way on occasion, but she was dying for something more. It slowly turned into a dance, one that she was going to get him to join in on one way or another.

"What are you doing out here?" Stefani asked as she sat next to Daryl by the lake.

"What the hell's it look like?"

"Like you hate everyone and wanted to get away." He glanced over at her to see the smile on her lips. "I can help you clean the rest of those knives if you want."

He passed a few her way and waited until she began cleaning them before returning to the bolts in his hand. It had only been two days since the group of strangers set up camp and in those forty-eight hours, he had spent too many of them trying to avoid the beautiful woman next to him. Stefani seemed to be adamant about getting to know him, but he knew the moment she did, she'd run the other direction.

"Thanks for bringing us those squirrels. It's nice to have fresh meat." Again he turned to see her smile. "You're the only one that's really looking out for everyone."

"Ain't true, those other guys are protecting everyone. I'm just doing what I always have." With that he snatched the knives out of her hands and stood to head back to his tent.

As Stefani watched him walk away she thought about all the men she'd had in her life over the years. She wasn't the shy girl or played hard to get, but never before had she had someone so openly reject her. Maybe he just wasn't into her and that was something she could live with, but it made her furious to think that he didn't even want to get to know her before sweeping her to the side.

Later that day, Stefani was able to sneak off and find a quiet place just outside of the camp to be alone. She balanced the weight of the small knives in her hand before throwing them ten feet into the truck of a tree. She just needed some time away from everyone else, time to be by herself and think about everything she missed. Sometimes it was overwhelming being surrounded by so many different strangers. There were plenty that she got along with, but that didn't mean that she needed everyone in her business all the damn time. It was bad enough having Shane and Lori on her case every five minutes.

The bottle of whiskey at her feet was a little over half gone, and she was dreading the day she would have to go through this new life sober. The latest fight with Shane was still fresh in her mind as she let the warm liquid burn on the way down her throat. All their lives he had been her best friend, protector, but now it felt as though he wanted to control her. Nothing she did was right anymore.

Putting all her weight into the next throw, she was satisfied when it stuck harshly into the bark. The crunch of leaves behind her pulled her attention away from the tree and back to her surroundings. They hadn't seen a walker around camp, thinking it was just far enough away from Atlanta that they wouldn't have to worry about one showing up this far up the mountain. She waited until she was sure that whatever was sneaking up on her was within reach before she turned around ready to strike.

"Damn it." Daryl said, pulling his hand up to block her. "Why're you out here alone?"

"Trying to get away from people. Isn't that why you go hunting?"

"Not the only reason." He sighed reaching out for her bottle. "You owe me for the cigarette."

"You don't like many people, do you?" She asked, watching him closely.

"Why's that matter?"

"It doesn't. Just trying to make friends." Taking another large helping of her whiskey, Daryl moved closer to her.

"You wanna be friends?" His voice was thick from the alcohol and something else, she thought as he took the final step and closed the distance between them. Stefani felt her heart rate pick up with excitement.

"Depends on what kind of friends you wanna be."

She had never been more thankful to taste the whiskey on his lips as he pulled her into his hard body. Stefani's eyes shut as she savored the feel of his hands on her back and is tongue against hers. It had been too long since she was with a man. Now more than ever, she wanted the mindlessness that came with a long-awaited release. She only hoped that he was needing it as much as she was.

"Just a fuck, don't expect some prince charming shit."

"Shut the hell up," Stefani said as she pulled his mouth back to hers.

She enjoyed the feel of his calloused hands against her flesh as he moved under her shirt. Stefani's legs gave out as she felt them fall to the grass. He pulled her onto his lap as his mouth moved over the skin on her neck. The feeling of her nails running over his scalp only made him want this more. A woman like her would have never given him a shot, let alone wanted him as much as Stefani seemed to before everything went to hell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed, they made me smile! I would just like to preface this by saying that I have never written smut. I have read my fair share though, so any criticism is welcome. Updating twice in a week is rare for me, but I can't seem to stop with these two. I've already written pretty far ahead. Expect updates about every Tuesday, and yay for the return of Walking Dead this Sunday!**

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After the initial awkward encounter between the two, Stefani came to realize that Daryl was avoiding her again. Honestly she couldn't blame him. It hadn't been mind blowing, or long for that matter, but the itch was scratched and that's all she'd wanted in the first place. A part of her truly did think that they could become friends, or at the very least, good acquaintances. So instead of pursuing him with the eagerness of a cat in heat, she changed her tactic to one of bored playfulness. Surprisingly, it seemed that he had a soft spot for her.

It had been nearly a week since they set up camp outside the quarry. Stefani found that the time passed easier when she was able to sneak away for a few minutes with Daryl. Nothing had changed from that first day besides the fact that they were slowly becoming real friends. It was easy for them to talk to each other, even if the physical side of the arrangement hadn't gone as planned. Some people around camp might have had their suspicions, but neither openly said anything about what they did when together. It just made this new life they were forced into a little easier to tolerate.

Lori sat folding laundry outside of her tent. It was a mundane job, but she knew that if she didn't do it no one else would. Her attention wasn't on her clothes, but on the young woman across camp. Stefani Walsh was coming back up to camp from the quarry lake. There was a slight smile on her face as she briskly stomped her way up the hill, Daryl following behind her. Their appearance was similar, both soaked to the bone. It was the rare smile that was threatening the split across Daryl's face that caught her attention.

"When was the last time you saw her so happy?" Lori asked Shane, drawing his attention away from the gun he was cleaning. He hadn't even noticed his little sister's return.

"High school maybe, she really liked cheerleading."

"No, I mean really happy. Look at her Shane, I haven't seen her smile like she does with him since she left home for college."

"What the hell are you talking about?" He looked up, zeroing in on his sister.

Stefani had many expressions and he prided himself on knowing them all. As she stomped ahead of the young redneck, Shane knew that she was torn between kicking his ass and busting out with laughter. Daryl must have been saying something to her, because every so often she would turn around and shoot him a glare. Watching them together these past few days had been strange. At first Shane wanted her at his side every second, not trusting the large group that they had found some solace in, but Stefani clawed until she was free to be on her own. The last thing he expected was his sweet sister falling in with the crude, dirty, Dixon brother. He hoped they were just having fun together, as disgusting as it sounded, a quickie in the woods would worry him less than her falling in love with him. Stefani had to have enough sense in her to know that he wasn't the kind of guy that was going to stick around and take care of her.

Out of all the boyfriends Stefani had had in her life. Shane could only say that he liked one, and he couldn't bring it up in front of Lori. The brief time Stefani had spent with Rick had probably been the happiest of her life. It was natural and he was okay with his best friend dating his little sister because he was the only guy he could trust. Three years the two were together before Stefani got spooked. Shane never got the whole story, the couple just stopped one day and everything returned to the way they were before. It was as if nothing ever happened, and that's how they wanted it to stay.

"She looks pissed off if you ask me." Lori rolled her eyes at Shane's dismissal.

"I'm gonna kick your ass if you ever do that again, Dixon." Stefani hissed as she grabbed some clean clothes from the pile Lori had.

"What happened down there?" The older woman asked, trying to hide her smile.

"What happened was that redneck idiot over there is as graceful as a rhino. Slipped on a damn rock and just happened to knock me into the water."

"Anyone should be pissed it's me." Daryl said, eyeing her with his signature glare. "You the one that pulled me in when I was just trying to help your ass."

"My prince charming," she rolled her eyes and disappeared in her tent.

"You're right, Lori. How did I miss the happiness exploding off of her?"

"Shut the hell up, Shane." Stefani called from the tent, throwing her soaked tank top out and catching him in the side of the face.

Now that Lori had put the seed in his mind, that's all Shane could think about whenever he saw his sister with Daryl. He was a little disappointed in seeing that she was happier with Daryl than she had been in that last few months before the world went to shit. Before she was struggling to find a job that she loved and an apartment that didn't require her to have three roommates, all the while bartending for shit tips in an Atlanta dive bar. For the first time she was smiling.

"Look what I killed." Stefani said as she shook a string of squirrels in Shane's face.

"That's where you've been all morning? What the hell happened to telling someone where you're going?"

"Relax, I told Daryl. Besides everyone else was still sleeping."

She smiled as she moved away from her brother, and throwing the dead animals at the hunter. Again Shane found himself watching them closely. Stefani sat down next to Daryl as he pulled the squirrels off the rope. He threw one back at her and passed her a knife.

"What the hell do you want me to do with that?" She asked, eyeing the sharp utensil in his hands.

"Come on, girl. If you can kill em then you're gonna have to learn how to skin em too."

"No way. I can't do that."

She nearly leapt off of the log she was sitting on when she felt his arms come around her. Daryl's leg appeared next to hers as he molded their bodies together. Stefani concentrated on the slightly erratic thumping coming off his chest and the heat radiating off his body. She noticed that everyone around the camp was stealing glances their way. A part of her wanted to tease him on their proximity, but she knew that this was a big step for him. Never before had he been the one to initiate any kind of closeness.

"What are you doing?" She asked through gritted teeth. If she raised any alarm, she knew that Shane would be over in a second to come to her rescue even if she didn't need it.

"Teaching you how to skin a damn squirrel." His larger hands covered hers, a slight tremble in them until he took the animal and began slicing the furry skin.

"I don't wanna learn, Daryl. This is so gross. Can't I just cook it after you take care of it?"

"Gotta learn sometime, might not always be around to help." She turned her head as she quietly whispered to her, not liking the idea that someday all of them could be dead. The brush of his lips against her skin made her eyes flutter shut for a brief moment before his hands were moving again.

Amy and Andrea were watching as Stefani tried not to puke as Daryl worked her hands around the bloody flesh. She was whining, which surprisingly wasn't aggravating the younger Dixon brother like expected, but instead he was trying to hold back laughter.

"Will you relax? Good lord woman, it's not that bad."

"Says you, I'm more of a packaged meat kind of girl." She was thankful when his grip on her hands loosened, and she was able to lean further into his body as he finished gutting the animal from behind her. "This is disgusting and sadly a little bit of a turn on."

This time it was her whose lips brushed against the side of his ear as she turned to talk to him quietly. It was as if they were in their own little world. Instead of watching him rip the guts out of the small animal, Stefani kept her head to the side watching him instead. She stayed like that until he was done and handed her the meat to be placed in a pan for later. The pair stayed practically combined until he had cleaned, skinned, and gutted all eight squirrels they had brought back.

"Look at you mister provider. What would we do without you?" Stefani joked as her hand reached up to stoke his face, leaving a sticky streak of red down his cheek.

"You'd all be dead, and I've have a lot more free time on my hands." He said, squeezing his arms around her, leaving bloody hand prints on her biceps.

"Daryl," she screamed as she pushed out of his embrace.

The pair had the attention of the entire camp as Stefani and Daryl began smearing each other with the animal blood that was coating their hands. It wasn't until entrails started being thrown, that Dale stepped in. From the safety of the Winnebago roof, he called down to the filthy couple with a disapproving expression on his face.

"I think you two should clean up that mess before it draws unwanted attention our way." Stefani sobered up the second his fatherly tone hit her ears, it took a little longer for Daryl to begin helping her clean up the mess they had made outside of his tent.

He hated being told what to do, especially from someone that in his eyes didn't do much for the group at all. If it wasn't for Stefani, he knew that he wouldn't talk to anyone outside of his brother at the camp, and even then Merle wasn't always that reliable of a companion. There was just something about her that made him remember how fun camping used to be, and even with the threat of walkers stumbling into their little oasis he was just happy to have someone that made him laugh again.

"Come on, let's go get cleaned up." Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts as her hand pulled him toward the RV.

There were very few times he found himself inside Dale's home, but mostly it was because there was always so many people coming in and out of it. Daryl liked his space and that was something that the RV did not offer. That thought only became truer as Stefani crammed them both into the tiny bathroom. She shut the door and pulled her soiled shirt over her head.

"You owe me big time for that stunt you pulled, Dixon. This is going to be a bitch to clean." She turned around expecting him to be taking off his as well, but was surprised when he was just sitting on the toilet cover beside her. "Don't you want me to soak that, it'll stain?"

"I've got worse. Just hand me a rag."

She reached in one of the drawers for a semi clean cloth before wetting it. Instead of passing it to his waiting hand, she nudged his knees apart and stepped between them. With gentle stokes, she started with the splatter that had landed on his already dirty face. It was the most intimate action the two of them had experience together. They hadn't so much as touched since that first quickie in the woods, but the ridiculous jokes like earlier were more their style. Never before had they been so gentle and open with each other.

Daryl was finding it difficult to meet her gaze, instead focusing on the beauty mark just above her left hipbone. Instinctively he reached out and stroked the off color strip of flesh with his thumb. He'd never taken the time to actually take in her body before. Sure he knew how it felt against his as they were both working up to a release, but he'd never noticed the subtle definition to her torso or the freckles that dotted her sun kissed skin. The last time they'd barely gotten any clothes off before they were done.

"Why won't you take your shirt off in front of me?" She asked softly as she began to move the cloth down his neck trying to get what little flesh was showing out of the collar of his shirt. "

"Didn't really need to last time we were together."

"Guess not," she let a soft laugh escape her lips. "Ever done it in an RV before?"

"You think it's a good idea?"

"Come on, where's your sense of adventure? Half the fun is the threat of getting caught."

She stepped away from him, moving to close the door all the way before quickly slipping her pants off her legs. Daryl hadn't moved from his spot. He watched her with stormy eyes as she made the three short steps to meet him again. This time she nudged his legs together and slowly stood, straddling him. She could see the hesitation in his eyes.

Stefani reached out and took his face in her hands. Gently, she rubbed her thumbs along his jaw, finally getting him to relax as his eyes shut. She leaned down to place her lips over his. It was like a first kiss in middle school, close mouthed and dry lips. She pulled away, licked her lips before moving in again, this time running her tongue across his as well.

He reached out for her, taking her hips into his hands. She moved even closer towards him, ungracefully bending over to continue coaxing his lips with her tongue. Shyly he parted his lips and felt her tongue glide along his. Daryl's fingers dug into the flesh on her hips as she set up a rhythm with their tongues, in and out, clockwise circle, repeat. He'd never had this much pleasure from just kissing before. Finally, Stefani broke away, gasping for breath.

He dropped his head and ran his lips along her neck, then down the valley of her breasts. Her hands moved into his hair, keeping his face close to her body. The feel of his facial hair against her skin as he kissed his way down her stomach made a shiver run up her body. She felt her legs beginning to give out, and she finally lowered herself onto his lap. Again his mouth found hers, already moving back to the rhythm they had set before.

Stefani wrapped one arm around his neck as the other ran down his chest. She felt him tense, although it was more of a subconscious reaction than anything else. Her hand found his belt and expertly undid it with the one hand before moving to his zipper. A moan escaped his mouth as she slid her hand in his waistband and took his hardening member into her hand.

They separated only long enough to remove the barriers between their lower halves. Stefani moves back to straddle him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders tightly as she slowly lowered herself onto him. His face was buried his in her chest as he took in the heat that came off of her. This time was already infinitely better than before. He hated that he didn't have the experience she was used to, but she didn't seem to complain about taking the reins. She leaned away from him, enhancing the angle of their thrusts as he kissed the inside of her arm to keep from moaning too loud.

"Steph," a knock at the door stilled their actions. She tried to control her breathing so that she could answer Lori.

"I'll be out in a minute." She called. "I'm trying to get the blood out of my shirt."

"Do you need help?"

"No, I'm fine." Stefani called out quickly before Lori could reach for the door knob. Before she was sure they were alone again, Daryl stated moving beneath her. She had to muffle a moan by biting down on his shoulder just so she wouldn't draw any more attention their way.


	3. Chapter 3

Here we go everyone. Thanks to for all the reviews, follows and favorites. They make my day!

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"Hey I'm gonna go find some more firewood." Stefani said patting Shane on the shoulder. "I'll be back in a while."

"Fani, you be careful out there, alright."

"Jesus, Shane can you not call me that anymore. It was cute when I was four, not so much now."

Stefani disappeared into the trees, talking a deep breath as she took in the peacefulness of the forest. As she rounded a tree, she nearly screamed as she fell into a solid chest. A rough hand wrapped around her mouth quickly.

"Don't tell me you're skittish?" Daryl said with a small smile. A string of expletives escaped her mouth, but was only muffled by his hand. "What was that, darlin?"

"You're a fucking jackass." She said once his hand had been removed. "What the hell are you doing out here, you stalking me now?"

"Don't get your hopes up, I've got better things to do than chase you around."

"Whatever, we ain't got all day." She smirked, pushing his shoulders and moving them against a tree trunk.

"Damn girl, what happened to romance?"

"You want romance? Okay," Stefani said, backing up and straightening her shirt and hair. "Dinner by the fire pit-with everyone, and then a moonlight stroll-armed of course because it would suck to be eaten on a first date."

"First date, damn we can't just jump to the third or fifth, or whichever one you damn girls think is the special one for a good lay."

"Wow, you really are a catch. Good thing I'm renting the stud, not buying. I couldn't put up with your bullshit for more than a day." She rolled her eyes and turned to actually do the task she set out for.

"Hey, where the hell you goin?"

"Later, I'm not in the mood anymore." She said, moving deeper into the greenery.

"Like hell you're not." He moved quickly to catch up with her and Stefani was slightly embarrassed by the squeal she let out as he caught her around the waist.

Stefani's hand reached out before she was pressed into the rough bark of a tree. She smiled as Daryl's lips attached to the hollow of her neck. Pushing her hips back against his, she was suddenly feeling overwhelmingly in the mood, but that was just something that Daryl was capable of doing to her. She turned around, pulling her tank top over her head, before reaching down for his belt. His lips were back on her glistening skin as her fingers worked on moving his pants down.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Daryl took control. In a blur of hands and clothes, Stefani felt herself being pushed roughly into the tree, slid up the bark and impaled. The sting of the bark biting into her skin was dulled by other sensations, his calloused fingers digging into her hips as he rocked against her. Her moans and painful cries were muffled as his lips attached over hers. Stefani's hands threaded through Daryl's hair as his head dropped to her chest as he pumped into her a few more times before becoming spent. Stefani felt herself being placed back down on shaky legs as he moved away from her. She hopped back into her tight jeans before pulling her shirt back over her head.

"There we go again, me down to my underwear and you barely get your pants down. You realize if a walker came at us I would be completely helpless."

"Quit whining, didn't hear you complaining a few minutes ago."

"Because my mouth was too busy defending itself against yours." She laughed, glancing around for the reason she had originally ventured into the woods. "I need to find some wood and head back before Shane sends out a search party to find me."

That was the last time Daryl saw her until he came from hours of hunting. He noticed that it was unusually quiet around, everyone was keeping to themselves. An uneasy feeling settled over him as he placed his cross bow and kills outside his tent. Merle was passed out on the cot inside the tent next to his, probably sleeping off a high. It was Andrea that took the initiative and approached him carefully.

"Stefani was attacked." She told him, keeping her eyes off in a distance towards the lake. "She wondered off too far and got turned around. From what I heard, she ran into a walker. By the time T-Dog and Dale got to her, she'd already killed it. I think she was just shaken."

"Why you tellin me all this?" He asked, trying not to follow her gaze a catch a glimpse of Stefani. He felt his blood start to boil as he willed his body not to run after her and make sure for himself that she was alright.

"Come on, it's not like you two are keeping anything a secret." Andrea laughed, noticing for a brief second that he didn't see amused.

"Don't mean I care." With that he went into his tent, trying to force the urge to find Stefani out of his mind.

He wasn't used to this feeling of needing to protect someone. If he was honest with himself he never really needed to protect anyone before. The only people he had in his life were Merle and his dad, both of which he didn't give a shit about. Somewhere in between groping each other behind the RV and having his way with her whenever they had a private moment, something changed between them. Stefani wasn't like all the other women he'd had in his life before the world went to hell, she was something more. There was a knot in the pit of his stomach every time he was away from her for longer than a few minutes and then there was the tightening of his chest every time he watched her laughing with Glenn or T-Dog. He didn't want to label the feelings, or even really acknowledge their existence, but the idea of coming back to camp without her in it terrified him. If there was anyone he had to be stuck with at the end of the world, he was glad that it was Stefani Walsh.

Stefani slowly stood up from the rock she'd been sitting on. For the last half hour she had been sitting by the lake cleaning herself off as best she could. T-Dog was standing a few feet away with his back to her, allowing her some privacy. She was glad that every few minutes he would turn around and make sure she was still okay. Her hands were still shaking and her legs felt like jelly, but at least her heart rate a slowed down to an almost normal pace.

T-Dog waited for her to meet him before starting back to camp. He placed a protective hand on her back as he led them up from the quarry. With a heavy breath, Stefani slowed her pace and reached up to wiped furiously at her eyes. She didn't want to walk back and have tear tracks staining her dirty face.

"It's okay to be afraid, Stef." T-Dog said as he watched her compose herself.

"I don't want the kids to be afraid. They think this place is safe, we all do." She felt the tears stinging her eyes again.

"You are safe here. Dale and I came running the second we heard you."

Stefani smiled at the man in front of her. She gave his arm a squeeze in appreciation before the saw her brother making his way down to them. Again tears began streaming down her face. There were very few times in her life that Stefani remembered being so happy to see Shane. Her legs nearly gave out by the time she reached his arms. She was sobbing into his chest as he held her to him. Shane began leading them back through the camp, this time Stefani didn't care if everyone saw the fear consuming her body. In her older brother's arms she felt safe, protected.

"What the hell were you doing out there, Stefani? And being alone, did you want a walker to find you?" Shane started the second they were sheltered in their tent.

"Where the hell were you? Dale and T-Dog had to come get me. Why do I feel like you're never around anymore?" Stefani yelled as she moved over to her side of the tent. She slipped her soiled shirt over her head, leaving her tank top on and exposing her marred back.

"Stef, what happened to you?" He asked as he reached out to touch the still raw skin.

"None of your business, apparently I need to take care of myself because I can't count on you being there for me."

"Were you with him?" Shane took a seat on her cot, watching as she picked at the dirt under her nails.

"I was and then I went to get some wood. The camp wasn't far, but somehow I just got turned around in all the trees." She finally looked over at him, eyes red with tears. "Were you with her?"

"Who?" Shane asked ready to take the defensive.

"Lori, did you really think I didn't notice? I'm not judging you. She lost her husband and needs someone. You're doing a really good thing for her and Carl. Also wouldn't hurt to still check with me on occasion too."

The siblings sat together, both trying to figure out how life got so complicated during the apocalypse. The last thing Stefani wanted was to fight with her brother, but the tensions in the camp continued to build. It was as if everything was leading to one big explosion. There were too many people living together with no real sense of order or authority. She wasn't used to living like this. On the one hand she still wanted to have her independent life, but on the other she knew that it was dangerous and needed to stay close to those that she trusted to have her back. It was starting to occur to her that the list of people she wanted around her was slowly growing.

"I need to take a walk." She said later that night as she watched Shane slowly lose the battle of sleep.

She slipped her gun into her pants and made sure that she had her knifes strapped to her belt. Instinctively she glanced up at the RV, seeing Dale up there with his rifle in hand. Slowly she moved towards him, the darkness hindering her vision only a little as the half-moon cask a slight glow over the camp. She felt uneasy and overly exposed, but she was determined to fight back the fear.

"Hey mister." She called out quietly as she held onto the last rail of the ladder. Dale smiled down at her sweetly. "I just wanted to say thank you for coming for me today. It's good to know that you're looking out for everyone."

"Whenever you need someone, don't be afraid to holler. I'll always come running, Stefani." The affectionate smile he sent her way reminded her of her father. She missed the way he would always know exactly what she needed to hear in order to take on another day.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Shouldn't you be asleep? After the day you had I would have thought that you'd be sleeping well into the afternoon."

"I can't settle down, my mind keeps running through everything. I think I might just need to walk off the extra adrenaline." With a smile she began moving back down the ladder. "Keep an eye on me, I've got my gun and knives, but it would be nice to know that you're watching."

"I'll be here if you need me. And don't go too far."

She smiled up at him one last time, before continuing through the camp. The acceleration of her heart rate was an upsetting side-affect. She was doing this in order to confront her fear, face it head on and try to stop her unrealistic fear of the unknown. Every little noise made her jump.

"What the hell are you doing up?" Stefani turned drawing her gun up.

"Jesus, Daryl I could've shot you." She sighed, placing her gun back in her pants. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Seem to be doing that a lot lately."

Stefani began to walk again, glancing back at Dale for a moment before turning back to Daryl. He began to follow her, his steps quickly matching hers before they were walking side by side. It was strange that a feeling of peace came over her as she felt her hand brush against his on occasion. The two walked in silence for at least an hour, Stefani's brain began to soothe.

"You should get some sleep." He said as they finally made their way back to the tents. At this point, Stefani had a finger wrapped around one of his, trying to keep him close.

"Can't, every time I close my eyes that damn thing's coming at me again."

Daryl pulled her over to his tent, dragging her into the mess that he lived in. Stefani took a moment to glance around them before moving over to sit with him on his cot. All the times they had been together, not once had they ever had sex where they lived. It was always in the woods or a car or anywhere else they could find privacy. She found it to be a little bit of a shock to be somewhere so personal with him. It wasn't their style to bring each other into their lives more than needed.

"This is pretty gross." She laughed. "How do you live in this?"

"Ain't so bad." He said moving further onto the bed.

Stefani pulled her gun out and took her knives off her leg. She glanced back at him before slipping her jeans off, followed by her tank top. Rolling over, she laid on her stomach in only her underwear and bra. The heat from the day seemed to have gotten trapped in the tent. Daryl moved beside her, but she was too lazy to look over at him. The next thing she felt was his hands ghosting over her back.

"Didn't mean to hurt you." He said as he ran his fingers over her marred flesh. "How close was it?"

"It had me pinned on the ground. I don't even know where it came from. I screamed, calling out for anyone. Then I realized that I had to take care of myself, no one would come for me." She turned her head, staring into his soft blue eyes. "I should have gone back after we finished. All those damn trees just start to look alike after a while."

"I didn't hear you." He told her quietly. "If I had…"

"I know you would have been there. Dale and T-Dog showed up after I'd already killed it. They brought me back." She reached her hand up and placed it on the side of his face. "I hate being scared."

"What are you afraid of? You can take down a walker." Her eyes began to fill with tears again and she pulled her hand away, turning her face away from him. "You ain't alone, Stef."

"I was, you said it yourself there's gonna be a time when people won't be around." She sniffed, hating the wetness that was falling down her cheeks. A weight pressed against her side as Daryl moved over her. His arms ran over hers as he placed a kisses across her shoulders. She turned her head to capture his lips, finally able to move so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and deepen their kiss.

"Get some sleep." He told her, pulling her into his side. Stefani was too tired to object, everything that had happened that day had come rushing back to her and exhausting her body into sleep. It went against everything he thought their relationship was, but he knew that there was no way he was leaving her alone tonight. If it was up to him, she'd never feel alone for as long as he lived.


	4. Chapter 4

Stefani snuck out of Daryl's tent in the morning. She shouldn't have fallen asleep with him last night because it went against everything they wanted their relationship to be. A part of her didn't think he would have been so comforting in her time of need and it made her miss having an actual relationship more than ever. Changing and getting ready for the day, she could only think about the way his arms felt as he held her through the night.

"You coming down to do laundry with us?" Andrea asked as she spotted Stefani heading out of her tent.

"Yeah, let me just grab a few things. I'll meet you down there."

She smiled at the blonde before picking up her basket. She made sure she had her clothes and some of Shane's before she left her tent. The walk to the lake meant she would have to pass the Dixons. An idea came to her as she made her way over to the men. She was thankful that Merle was still in his tent, no doubt sleeping off a high.

"Daryl," she called as she stuck her head in his tent flap. "Put your clothes in here."

"What?" He asked staring up at her.

"I figure we can make a deal. You skin the animals, I do the laundry." She smiled as she moved further into the tent. "Come on, were you planning on cleaning them?"

"You wanna wash my clothes?"

"I'd jump on the offer if I were you, it's not going to last much longer." With that she backed out of the tent, giving him a minute to make up his mind before she continued to the lake. It only took mere seconds before he was coming out with his arms full of clothes. "Dear lord, this is going to take me all damn day."

"You offered," he smiled as he put them on top of her basket.

They stared at each other for a few moments, deciding on what else to say. Daryl had never wanted to kiss her more in the time that they had known each other. Stefani looked away briefly, biting down on her lip. She glanced around quickly before taking a step towards him and giving him a quick peck on the lips. There were a few people around camp, but she decided she didn't give a shit what everything thought of their relationship anymore.

"Well darling, why don't you come over here and give ole Merle a morning kiss too." Stefani sighed at the comment from the older Dixon.

"You know what Merle," she sighed as she moved over to him. "There is nothing that can come out of your idiot mouth that can ruin my day."

"There's something you can put in yours that will make mine a hell of a lot better." He leered at her, glancing down at the cleavage her tank top offered.

Daryl tried not to let his brother's comments get to him, but suddenly just the way he looked at Stefani made him want to kick his big brother's ass. Ever since he could remember, Merle was the one that took the girls home. He got first dibs and it must have been killing him to know that Daryl had Stefani all to himself. For the first time, Daryl was able to see exactly what Merle thought of women and knew that it was wrong. Any other woman, Daryl wouldn't have cared, but Stefani was different.

"How about I stick a tooth pick down your throat and see how much you like it." Stefani said glaring at the older, obviously high, man. "What the hell are you on, man? Jesus, would it kill you to be a little productive around here?"

"What the fuck did you say to me?"

"Would you like me to say it slower for you Merle, let that small hick brain of yours catch up to the words coming out of my mouth? Get off your fucking ass and help out." Before Stefani could process what was coming, the back of Merle's hand connected with the side of her face.

She reeled back, dropping her basket and covering her face. There weren't a lot of people around camp, unfortunately one being Ed who probably enjoyed the show. It was when her eyes fell on Daryl that her blood began to boil. He was still standing in the same spot, watching as he brother gave her a satisfied smile.

"I don't take orders from no spoiled bitch." Merle spat at her before taking a few steps away. "Unless it's in the bedroom, hell I bet you order Daryl around like he's just a mindless dick."

"What I do in the bedroom is none of your fucking business. It's not like you actually give a shit about..." This time when Merle reached out for her, Daryl stepped between them.

With a sense of pride she caught Daryl's hard gaze. "You should watch what you fucking say." He finally said, and she was shocked that it was directed towards her.

"**I** need to watch what I say?" She asked, furious that he was just standing there as the words left his brother's mouth, especially after last night. "You know what, fuck you, both of you." She said, picking her basket back up and throwing Daryl's clothes on the ground. "Do your own fucking laundry."

As she sat with the other women, Lori knew something was up and cautioned the others not to bring it up. If she knew anything about the yougner woman it was that her temper had a tendency to flair when she was upset. After watching the many disagreements the group had seen her and Shane go through, no one argued. The rest of the day her anger went from simmering to boiling. She couldn't even bring herself to look in the direction of the Dixon's tents. Suddenly she remembered why their relationship could be nothing more than a casual fling. Folding the last of Shane's clothes, Stefani caught Daryl's stare from across camp. It was then that she realized that she needed to get the hell away from everyone before she did something she would regret.

Stefani found herself in the woods again. This time she stuck to a familiar place so she wouldn't get lost. She needed to stab something. Her reliable tree was there waiting for her and as she stood there, throwing all of her knives with a quick succession. It was after the second time she went to retrieve them that she realized it was only making her angrier knowing that this was the place they had sex for the first time.

"You're gonna dull them." His voice called from behind her. Without thinking, she whirled around and threw the knife in her hand at the intruder. "Son of a bitch."

She watched as Daryl stared at the knife that almost connected with his skull. He moved to pull it out of the tree behind him before taking a cautious step towards her. There was no telling whether or not she was going to attack again, and he knew that he would have to play it carefully if he wanted to make it back to camp without any new scars.

"What the hell do you want?" She asked reaching out for her knife.

He kept it away from her, "you gonna throw this at me?"

"I'm thinking about it."

The two stared each other down for a moment before finally breaking the tension. Stefani didn't want to apologize and she knew that he wouldn't either. They were in uncharted territory. There were no rules for this, and even if there were she wasn't sure if they would follow them anyway.

"My face is fine by the way, thanks for asking."

"I told him if he ever touches you again I'm gonna put an arrow in his ass." She watched him carefully trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not.

"Can I say something that you're probably not going to like?" He nodded at her, chewing on the inside of his lip. "You're better than him. Don't let him treat you like shit just because he has all your life. And don't expect me to just stand there and take his sexist shit. I'm not that kind of girl."

"I know." He took another step closer to her, this time reaching out to gently run a finger over her red face. "He's my brother, all I got left."

"Yeah," she sighed moving away from him to collect her other knives. "It's just sex?"

The moment the words left her mouth she realized how much she wished they weren't true. She didn't want, or need just sex. She wanted someone who would be there for her, because Shane was suddenly lacking in the protection and comfort department.

"Hey, we're friends too." He told her with a seriousness she loved.

"The best," she smiled and pecked his cheek before moving back towards camp.

She smiled as she felt his little finger hook around hers. The blonde sisters watched the couple, not sure where they stood after the events of the morning. Amy couldn't stop the content sigh that escaped her lips as she saw Daryl place a quick kiss against her lips before letting her slip out of his grasp. Stefani ignored their knowing smiles as she passed the sisters and moved into her tent.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"I'm going to Atlanta," Stefani said as she moved to where Shane was standing with Glenn.

"The hell you are." Her brother laughed before returning to the other men.

"Shane, I'm not asking you. I'm just as fast as Glenn and I know the city. I think it would be good to have a girl go too." She glanced over to Glenn hoping for some backup.

"She might be right, Rick. There are things that we won't think of, besides she's small and quick." Glenn said as he glanced at Stefani.

"She's also good with those knives, their quiet, and in a pinch she's got her gun." T-Dog said as he nudged the girl in question. "I think it's a good idea, besides if Dixon's really going, she can help us with that too."

"I can handle Merle, Shane. I'm going."

"Are you trying to prove something, because nobody thinks you're not pulling your weight about here?" Shane asked his little sister as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Damn right I pull my weight, but I'm tired of cooking and cleaning. That's not what I wanna do anymore. I can help with this."

"You're gonna go no matter what aren't you?" He sighed, knowing that once Stefani made up her mind that was the end of the discussion. "Fine, but you better watch your ass."

"We got her man, don't worry about it." T-Dog said, giving Stefani's shoulder a squeeze.

She smiled as she moved away from the men. Finally she would be able to get away for a few hours. It terrified her to think about what Atlanta looked like now, the streets teeming with the undead. A part of her hoped she didn't run into any that she knew. Andrea sat down next to her, smiling as she watched the men make a plan.

"So you got Shane to agree to let you come with us?"

"Not much he could've done."

"Well I'm glad you'll be there. Maybe it will contain Dixon a little."

"Why does everyone say that, yesterday he smacked me across the face?" Stefani sighed as she touched the still sensitive skin.

"I heard that too, but you must have missed the sibling throw down that happened after. Daryl really cares about you, doesn't he?" Andrea smiled knowingly.

"We're just friends and Merle was out of line." Stefani glanced around, searching for the man in question. "I should probably let him know I'm going."

Andrea nodded, watching as the girl got up to find Daryl. She thought it was cute that the two refused to vocalize how much they really cared about each other. It was obvious to almost anyone that paid close enough attention. She had to admit that she was slightly jealous of what Stefani had.

"I'm leaving with the group tomorrow. Thought you'd want to know." Stefani said as she watched him cleaning his bolts.

"Funny, Stef."

"Not a joke. It's already set up. We're leaving in the morning." She watched as he squinted up at her. There was an argument brewing in those blue eyes of his, she knew.

"Why the hell would you want to do that?"

"Got some things we need to pick up and the more hands the more we can bring back."

"You know Merle's going to find some more shit." He stood up and stepped closer to her. "I won't be there to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me." She reached out for him, running her hands up his forearms. "The guys going will watch my ass."

"Maybe I'm worried about that too."

"Don't tell me you're jealous." She laughed, squeezing his arms before wrapping them around his neck. "There's nothing to worry about, you're the only one that's gets to play with me."

He wrapped his arms around her, one hand resting low on her back as his fingers played with the hem of her jeans. Talking her out of going would be useless, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her to stay either. He didn't want to be that guy, the one that kept his woman chained to a tree and he was the only one with a key. Better yet, he didn't want her knowing he thought of her as his.

"You could come hunting with me. Saw some deer tracks and was going to head out while everyone else went into the city."

"Nope, you and I both know you'd find it faster on your own." She pulled slightly out of his grasp. "God, it would be fantastic to have some deer instead of those disgusting squirrels."

"I'ma bring you back one. So your ass better be here when I get back."

"I'll be here, with that idiot brother of yours." She leaned in and captured his lips quickly. "Promise."

* * *

I just want to clear a few things up by saying that I do adore Merle. Especially where they are taking his character in season 3. But there is something about the way is is around certain people (females) and the way he acted while he was high. The relationship he has with Daryl is so incredibly complex that I can't even begin to scratch the surface of it...yet.

On another note, I have decided to update on Tuesdays and Fridays, because of all the wonderful reviews and love that this story is getting. I'm written so far ahead anyway that I think I'll be able to keep up! Anyway this is the last chapter before we get into the series episodes.


	5. Chapter 5

Stefani stood on the roof, leaning against the wall and soaking up the sun. This was not the scavenging trip she thought it was going to be. It was obvious that getting back to camp was going to be tricky now that every walker in Atlanta was heading their way. She jumped when she heard another gunshot go off, this time only feet away from her.

"What the hell are you doing, Merle?" She asked as he took out another walker on the street. "You're wasting ammo."

"Shut up little bitch, let ole Merle take care of things."

"You're gonna get us killed."

"Worried you won't get back to my baby brother. Well, I think it's about time you give the real Dixon man a little attention." Stefani tried not to flinch as he moved closer to her, hovering over her. "He said I couldn't put a finger on you, but I bet you'd take from anyone."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not some whore you can proposition every damn day? I'm not a toy you can just take from your brother."

"You think he cares about you? Honey, you're nothing but a piece of ass he can pass the time with. Nobody's gonna love my brother like I do."

She was trying to be strong, but in a blink of an eye Merle had his hand squeezing the side of her neck as her back bent over the wall. A scream escaped her throat before the breath was knocked out of her by the rifle he pressed against her chest. She tried to squirm away from his face as he pressed his dry, rough lips against her skin, legs swinging off the ground as she was bent further over the wall.

"Dixon, what the hell are you doing man?"

Stefani turned to the voices as the rest of the group ran onto the roof. Merle was distracted by the new arrivals and Stefani took the opportunity to get out of his grasp. Swinging her knee up, she was able to connect with his groin and knock him off of her body. Once she was on her feet again, she swung out with all of her strength and connected her fist with his jaw. Still recovering, Merle was able to stumble back and throw her against the piping on the roof before everyone else could get to the pair.

It wasn't until Jacqui was coaxing her awake, that Stefani even realized what had happened. Her eyes searched her surroundings, ready to hear what ever insults Merle was going to throw her way after their encounter. A bump in the road shook her brain out of its haziness and the back of the cube van became clearer. She looked at the faces around her: Jacqui and Andrea on either side of her, sheltering her battered body and then T-Dog trying not to meet her eye.

"Where are we?" She coughed finding her throat sore.

"Shh, Stefani, we're almost back to camp." Andrea calmed her down. Jacqui and the blonde shared a look as Stefani continued to search the van.

"Where's Merle?" She was barely able to choke out, but her body was beginning to shake as realization set in. "T, what happened?"

"You're safe, Stef. He ain't gonna hurt you again."

"Oh God. No, guys, what did you do? No." She covered her face with her hands, noticing how her right hand was slightly swollen and the knuckles sticky with blood.

"Sweetheart, he nearly killed you." The driver said, trying to glance back at the distraught woman. "What was he to you?"

"Rick?" Stefani scrambled to her knees, leaning over the back of the seats to see the driver. "Oh my God."

"Good to see you, Fani." Rick smiled at her, taking his eyes off the disserted road for a minute to smile at his friend, possibly only family left.

"I hate that it feels so good to hear you say the dumb ass nickname."

With the appearance of Rick, all thoughts of Merle and subsequently Daryl were lost on Stefani. She never thought she would see her him again. Her heart throbbed in her chest knowing that he was alive and found his way back to them. She had never been so happy to see someone in her life. With a small smile on her face, she sat back between Jacqui and Andrea and waited for the camp to come into view.

"Hey guys, can we not tell Shane that Merle did this. I think it would just go over better if he didn't know what happened on that roof." Stefani pleaded with the group in the van as they made their way up the ridge to the quarry camp.

"What about Daryl?" Andrea asked quietly.

"I'll handle him." Stefani said with sad eyes. The other members in the back of the cube van shared a few glances before dropping the chatter altogether. They were almost back at camp and they knew there were going to be a lot of questions that needed to be answered.

Carefully climbing out of the van, Stefani made her way to her waiting brother. She felt the sting of tears in her eyes as she watched his pace quicken to her side. She must have looked a lot worse than she originally thought. His hands reached for her neck, gently turning it from side to side.

"What the hell happened to you? Are you bit?" He began checking her over, causing Stefani to pull out of his grasp.

"I'm fine, Shane. It was stupid, I fell down some stairs. Nothing to worry about." She moved back into his arms, hugging him closely as she watched the reunions around them. "But we did find something amazing."

Shane's jaw dropped as he watched his best friend, formerly dead best friend, sweep Carl into his arms. Watching the Grimes family reunite for the first time brought a huge smile and tears to Stefani's eyes. Her arms tightened around her brother. She knew that this was going to complicate things for him, but they would eventually work things out. A part of her wanted to be there, wrapped in Rick's arms as well, but she knew that it wasn't her place, not anymore.

That night she sat, with Shane's protective arms around her shoulders as they listened to Rick recount his story of survival. She could feel the tension in her brother, but she ignored it. He hadn't been the same since the dead started walking and it was just another thing she had to adapt to. A part of her wished she was more focused on the conversation, but her mind kept going back to the Dixon brothers. She was still running through the promises she and Daryl had made to each other.

Dale was the first one to bring up the other Dixon brother. She was thankful that he had done it because she knew the looks she'd receive if it had been her. They went around the group, trying to decide who would break the news, but she knew the moment she realized Merle wasn't in the cube van that it would have to be her.

"I'm going to do it." Stefani finally spoke up. "I told him that I would keep an eye on Merle. He'd want to hear it from me. And no offense T, but Glenn's right, he won't hurt me."

"Stef, we don't know that for sure." Glenn spoke up eyeing what little amount of bruising was showing from under her heavy sweater.

"I do. Trust me it'll be better for everyone if I'm the one that tells him what happened." With that she stood up and made her way over to her tent.

She was thankful that Shane was on watch tonight. Stripping out of the dirty clothes from the day, she threw on one of the oversized t-shirts she'd stolen from her brother long before the outbreak and curled up under her sleeping bag. Her head was still pounding and the soreness around her neck hadn't dulled the least with the aspirin she'd taken, but she willed herself to sleep. She needed all the energy she could muster in order to face Daryl when he finally made his way back to camp.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

The next morning, Stefani woke up to find her body in worse condition than when she went to sleep. It felt as though she had really fallen down a flight of stairs. Taking a change of clothes with her, she walked into the Winnebago in order to use Dale's bathroom. She wanted to look in the mirror and see the damage for herself. Everyone had said that it wasn't that bad, that they could hardly tell, but as she stared at her reflection she realized how stupid she had been. There was a clear purple and blue hand print on the side of her neck, changing her shirt she caught a similar colored bruise cover the majority of her mid to lower back. Pulling the tank top over her head, she made sure to pull her hair into the ponytail that covered the right side of her neck and the evidence that Merle had laid a hand on her.

Going through the normal daily chores proved to be more difficult than usual. Not only because of the state of her body, but also the thoughts running through her mind. She wasn't sure what Daryl's reaction would be to the new of his brother. In the little time they had known each other, Stefani still wasn't too sure of where their relationship was. What she said the night before she meant entirely, Daryl would never hurt her, at least not physically.

Everyone was pulled away from their chores as the screams of the children echoed through the camp. The men took off with whatever weapon was handy, as the two mothers raced for their children. Stefani followed behind her brother, Andrea and Amy behind her. The three girls stopped as they saw the decaying corpse snacking on a deer. The two sisters were focused on the men killing the threat, but Stefani's eyes were glued to the arrows sticking out of the deer's hind.

She kept to herself as Daryl arrived, taking his anger out on the walker's body. She felt Andrea's hand squeeze her arm briefly, giving Stefani the push to walk closer to the group of men. It was strange watching his demeanor change the second his blue eyes met hers. The anger that was controlling him seemed of have melted away. It was almost painful to think of the anger that would rear its ugly head the minute he found out Merle hadn't come back with them.

"Got us some squirrel thought, about a dozen or so, that'll have to do." He said, taking a step closer to Stefani. For a moment she couldn't control her actions and let a smile breakout across her face. She was almost surprised to see the slight smirk he sent her way.

After sending an arrow through the walker's head, he began walking back towards camp. Stefani fell into step with him, leaving the rest of the men behind. She turned to smile at him again when she felt the hand guiding her at the small of her back. It was almost strange to feel as safe as she did with a man so out of control most of the time.

"Was that supposed to be my deer?" She asked, slowing her steps and letting her body get as close to his as it could. "I thought you were a better shot than that."

"Let me see you walking around those woods for days, tracking and sleeping on leaves."

"I was trapped in a department store in Atlanta. Don't talk to me about hard times." She stopped walking and turned to face him. Over his shoulder she could see Shane and Rick watching them, waiting for the moment they would have to intervene. "Speaking of Atlanta, I need to tell you something about Merle."

That was all it took to bring back the hardness to his eyes. Suddenly what little distance there was between felt like miles. She wanted to reach out for him, but knew that would only push him away more.

"He dead?"

"I don't know." She felt the tears beginning to fill her eyes as she watched him try to keep his emotions in check.

"He either is or he ain't." He yelled causing her to flinch back, but she didn't let him push her away.

That was when Rick and Shane stepped in. As calmly as he could, Rick tried to explain what happened in Atlanta, thankfully leaving out the part that involved Stefani. In all honesty, she wasn't even that sure on the details. All she knew was that Merle was still handcuffed on that roof. Again she refused to move from her spoke as Daryl began to angrily pace as he took in the information Rick gave him. It wasn't until punched started being thrown, did Stefani fell Andrea pull her out of the commotion.

"Shane, let him go." She called out to her brother as he held Daryl in a choke hold. Andrea tried her best to keep the younger Walsh sibling away from the men.

She was finally able to break away as Daryl walked away from the group. Following him to the edge of camp, she cautiously reached out to place her hand on back. "I'm so sorry."

"You didn't cuff him." He sighed, she felt him take in a heavy shaking breath. "You hurt?" The softness that entered his eyes as he looked her over made a small laugh escape her lips. She shook her head as he moved her head to take in the slow forming bruise and then move down to examine her arms. His soft prodding was a million times different from the brute force he'd shown only moments before.

"I'm fine. I wanna go with you, to find him."

Her hands slowly slipped around his waist as she took a few steps into him. Daryl felt the tension slowly leave his body as hers molded against him. He wrapped his arms around her, placing his head against her messy curls. As he gave her a squeeze, Stefani hissed in a breath as his hands touched her bruised back.

"Still hurt from that tree bark?" He laughed, slipping his fingers under the hem of her shirt. "Can't be that bad."

She smiled up at him, reaching around to take one of his hands in hers and lead them back to the group. Daryl's hold on her hand tightened as they came closer to the group. She knew that it was going to be a long time before he forgave them for what happened to Merle. He sat down to clean his bolts and reload his crossbow. She stayed close to him as the rest of the group discussed the rescue mission. As she listened as Shane tried to talk Rick out of going, she could only image the argument he would though if he knew she was planning on tagging along.

"You ain't goin." Daryl said, leaning in to her side. She turned to argue, but the seriousness in his eyes stopped her. "Not safe for you to come with us. I don't wanna watch your ass in that city."

"I can take care of myself. You won't have to look after me"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the group, hardly anyone noticed their absence. Stefani moved with him, not sure what was going to happen when he got her alone. Usually with Daryl it was a gamble, and with the last couple of days, she wasn't sure if he was going to be gentle with her or not. They moved over to the side of the cube van and he braced his arms on either side of her head, blocking her in between him and the vehicle.

"No matter where we are, I've got your back. You barely made it back last time, I ain't gonna risk it again." He leaned in placing his forehead on hers.

"I'm afraid of what you might do." She sighed, hanging her head. "If anything happened to him, I'd want to be there. Rick is a good guy and he did what he had to. Merle was risking all of our lives."

Daryl tried to reach her eyes again, moving his head to the side to catch a glimpse. "He do that to you?"

"Please, let me come with you."

"I can handle Merle, he won't hurt nobody with me there. I'll make sure of that."

"Jesus, why are you pushing me away? I thought we were starting something, but that must have just been my imagination. You want to go alone, fine you go with Rick and Glenn and T and find your dumbass brother. I'll sit here and do the fucking laundry." She pushed against his chest to get some distance. "All of you are the same. Treating me like some fragile doll, that what I look like to you? I can handle myself against Merle Dixon, I can take down some damn walkers."

"Stefani, tell me what happened." He stepped closer to her, taking her face in his hand, searching her eyes.

"We were alone on the roof. He was high and taking down walkers in the street. I let my guard down."

"Guys, we're about to head out." Glenn said as he rounded the van. Daryl stepped away from her, deciding that deep down he didn't want to know exactly what his brother did, because just the idea of Merle laying a finger on Stefani made him want to kill his own flesh and blood.

"You should go," she said.

"Not so fast." Daryl reached out for her, bringing her back to him. Stefani wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly. "You ain't some doll, not to me." He told her before jumping into the back of the van.


	6. Chapter 6

This weekend is going to be crazy for me so I thought that it would be a good thing to get this chapter out before I forgot. Thanks again for all the follows and favorites. The comments are amazing as well and are really helping me see where I want this story to go. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter because I'm pretty sure it's my favorite so far.

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Stefani tried to keep her mind busy so that she wouldn't think about the men that were on their way to Atlanta. It was almost impossible to believe that Rick was actually back. She'd spent so many hours convincing herself that she'd never see him again and now it seemed like a waste. Her eyes glanced over to Lori and Carl, they deserved to be happy. Stefani was glad that the little boy had his father back. She almost hated herself for thinking about the ex-cop instead of the man that she was sleeping with. Even if Rick was practically family, it didn't feel right that she almost found it hard to breathe knowing that he might not make it back again.

"How are you feeling?" Shane asked as he took a seat next to his sister. "Let me see your neck."

"I'm fine," she sighed moving away from his reach. "It's not that bad. It'll be gone in a few days."

"If I ever get my hands on that redneck son of a bitch."

"You'll what, kill him? Don't worry walkers probably beat you to it. If not Daryl will."

"I hate seeing you with him. He's a loose cannon, and one day I'm afraid he won't be so gentle with you." Stefani watched him closely trying to figure out exactly what he was saying to her. "He's not a good man."

"I've said it a million times, Shane, it's none of your business. We're friends. I don't need him to treat me like glass and he knows that." Turning away from him, she thought about her next question carefully. "What about you and Lori?"

"That's none of your business." He said moving to leave, she reached out for him instead.

"It's going to stop right? Rick's your best friend and I know that we thought his was dead, but he's not."

"Yeah, it's over. What about you? Seeing Rick again must have been nice." The smile on his face made her want to punch him. Instead she stood up to leave.

"I think there's laundry to do."

Standing in the safety of her tent, Stefani reached for the necklace that used to sit on her neck. Her eyes filled with tears as she touched only skin. For years it had been a safety blanket, something that was always there to remind her. Shane was right, she was glad that Rick was back, but that didn't mean anything was really going to change.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Sofia was sitting at the picnic table, coloring in one of the books she managed to grab. Morales's daughter Eliza sat across from her while Stefani was beside her, crayon in hand as she focused intently at the picture in front of her. Sofia saw her as an older sister. She was different than the other adults, nice enough to find time to play with her and Carl. She liked being able to have someone that wasn't her mother to be with.

"Are you and Daryl in love?" Sofia asked, the two younger girls giggling at Stefani's shocked expression.

"I like him a lot, he's my best friend, but I don't love him." Her answer didn't seem to satisfy the girls.

"Carl's my friend and I don't kiss him." Sofia said, drawing the attention of the two boys playing in the dirt. "You and Daryl kiss all the time."

Stefani eyed to group of children ganging up on her. She wasn't sure how to explain her relationship to them, even most of the adults didn't understand it. Chewing the side of her thumb she caught Carl's stare. There was no way she could tell them that they were merely friends with benefits, even if she did it felt like a lie.

"Maybe we do kiss and hold hands sometimes, but when you're older friendship changes a little bit."

"Are you going to marry him?" Eliza asked as the girls giggled and the boys made disgusted faces. "Can we be flower girls?"

"What is this about flower girls, who's getting married?" Carol asked as her and Lori came to find their children.

"Stefani and Daryl sitting in a tree…" the girls began singing.

"Okay, that's enough." Lori said as she put her hands on Carl's shoulders. "Andrea and Amy wanted your help with the fish." Lori said to Stefani, the latter put her crayon down and moved away from the table sticking her tongue out at the giggling girls.

The stupid song was stuck in her head as she made her way through camp. The idea of marriage sounded so foreign to her now. It had been years since the thought had even crossed her mind. In days like these, it wasn't like the institution even truly existed anymore. It was all about property and ownership now. What was yours was kept close and she didn't want to be placed next to a beloved crossbow or rifle on the list on belongings.

She sat with the sisters helping with the dozens of fish they had caught that morning. It was the kind of mindless task she had been trying to avoid. It gave her too much time to think. Her mind kept pulling up a pair of blue eyes, but no matter how she much she tried it wasn't the pair she wanted. Andrea watched as she squeezed her eyes shut and put the heels of her palms roughly against the lids.

"Everything alright?" Andrea asked, pulling Amy's attention to them as well.

"Just thinking too much. You two are awesome, you know that. This is going to be the best dinner we've had in days." She smiled as she cut another fish head off.

"Are you worried about Daryl?" Amy asked with a small smile.

"Worried about what he might do. If anything happened to Merle, he's going to turn on the others ready to blame someone."

"But you trust Rick, don't you? He seems like a nice guy." Andrea piped in, knowing that she owed her life to the ex-cop.

"Yeah, and Daryl's not stupid. I just can't help but run through the worst case scenario."

"You're good for him." Amy said, "he's changed a lot since you two got together."

"He's not that bad once you get to know him." She smiled returning to the fish. "The sex isn't bad either." She said earning laughs from the sisters.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Stefani sat next to Shane that night around the fire. It was the first time everyone was gathered around for a decent meal. They were going to sleep with full bellies tonight. Finally she was able to push away her worries and focus solely on what was happening in the present. She listened happily as Dale talked about his watch. It reminded her of the traditions that they were all leaving behind. Never before had she thought about all the important things that were never going to be the same. No more Christmases, birthdays, in reality the only thing that needed to be celebrated was the survival of another day.

She felt Shane's arm wrap around her as he picked a piece off of her plate. As much as that used to annoy her, now it was just something that reminded her of better days. Her head fell against his shoulder as she felt the protection of his arms. Slowly she felt sleep beginning to claim her body, one that wouldn't be filled with nightmares, but a peaceful one.

That peace was shattered as a blood curdling scream rang out. Everyone turned and saw Amy being bitten by a walker. It all happened so fast, everyone was up and running away from the horde of dead that had stumbled onto their camp. Stefani tried to stay close to Shane, but she lost him quickly in the chaos. She reached for the gun in her belt and started shooting at anything dead.

She heard her brother calling for everyone to move to the RV. Stefani changed her direction only to trip over one of her dead companions. The gun fell out of her hand and she scrambled to her feet. She felt hands gripping at her back, and she turned to come face to face with a walker. He must have been no older than herself before he died, and the grip he hand on her was bruising. She kicked her legs out trying to get distance between them, but nothing seemed to be helping. Her arms were beginning to shake as she kept its snapping teeth away from her skin.

"Shane," she screamed out for her brother, praying he got to her fast. She tilted her head back to see where he had gone. Tears welled in her eyes as she called out for him again and again, before finally catching sight of him huddled close to Lori and Carl. Her arms were about to give out as she let out one last call for help. The weight of the walked fell on her as a gun shot rang out.

Stefani went limp, thinking it was all over before she realized that no gnawing sensation came after. The body was thrown off of her and a pair of strong arms pulled her up. As quickly as it had started it was all over. She stood there with her body pressed tightly against another. She looked up to find Daryl eyeing their surrounding making sure there were no stragglers.

"You bit? Scratched?" He finally asked as he moved her just far enough away for him to give her a good once over.

"No, what about you?" Stefani reached out and took his face in her hands. She pulled his forehead to hers and tried to control her tears.

"Come on, let's get the hell out of here." Slowly every one ventured away from the carnage. She let him drag her to his tent.

Stefani sat on the cot, her mind in a million different places at once. She didn't even feel him take a seat next to her before he was pulling her attention back to him. Daryl's calloused hands rubbed at the side of her jaw trying to pull her out of her thoughts.

"You scared the hell out of me." He said.

"Yeah, me too." She said, taking his hand in hers. "You didn't find him?"

"Cut off his own hand, took our van. That's why it took us so long to get back. Thought he was heading here." She leaned forward and placed her head against his shoulder.

"Can we just stay here for a little while? I can't go back out there yet."

Daryl laid back, pulling her down with him. Stefani wrapped her arms around him, holding on as if he was her only life line. She couldn't help but replay the images of the attack in her mind. If he hadn't of shown up she would be dead. Slowly her anger started to out weight her fear. Shane had left her, his own flesh and blood. He was too busy protecting a woman and son that didn't belong to him instead of his little sister.

"He didn't help me." She finally spoke against Daryl's chest. His hand ran through her matted curls, tangling in some stands. "I called out for him and he just left me there."

"You're fine, I got you."

"And if you hadn't come when you did? What then?"

She pushed off of him, sitting on the edge of the cot. Outside she could hear people moving around, no doubt deciding on what to do with all the bodies. She was sure that tomorrow would be one hard day. There were dozens of infected that needed to be burned, even more of theirs that needed a proper burial. She turned to look at the man behind her, never before more grateful for him being in her life. She leaned down again, this time meeting his lips.

"I'm glad you came back."

"Were you worried?" He asked against her lips.

"A little, maybe it will just be better if we just don't leave this tent. There's less to worry about." She said as she slid over his body. "You're my best friend."

His lips captured hers again as he rolled over, changing their position. He was hovering over her, hands still in her hair as his tongue explored her mouth. The realization that he almost lost this woman beneath him had never seemed so real. He couldn't imagine what he would have done if he'd come back to the camp and found her chewed up by the dead.

Stefani ran her hands down his back, her nails blazing a trail that brought chills to his heated skin. She smiled against his lips as she felt his shudder slightly. Daryl lifted his lips off of her, staring down into her eyes, he'd never noticed the swirls of gold and green making them look just a little lighter. It was almost unnerving to have her staring up at him with a slight smile on her lips.

This time he went down for her neck, his hands moving under her shirt. It felt as though it was the first time he was touching her. Stefani wanted to fell every inch of him as well. As her fingers moved to the hem of his shirt, he reached down and laced their fingers together. Pinning her arms above her head, Daryl continued to nip, lick, and claim her neck. He let go of her hands long enough to strip her of her top, and she arched her back in order to unclasp her bra. He was already moving down her body, kissing a trail down to the hem of her jeans. Quickly he pulled the material from her legs, catching her gaze as he took a step off the cot and slid his down as well.

"You know I saved your ass, that makes you my responsibility." He whispered against her lips as he returned to his position above her.

"Daryl Dixon, are you staking your claim on me?" She smiled brushing her nose with his. "Just know that if you say yes, you're not getting rid of me."

"Yeah, I know." He told her as his lips met hers again.

Stefani wished she could feel his skin against hers, but she knew when to pick her battles. This was the first time he'd taken it slow enough to touch every inch of her. It was intimate, gentle, everything that Daryl Dixon wasn't. Even their pace, as he slid into her was languid. Her arms wrapped around his as she buried her face in his neck. She'd continue to kiss him, but she was afraid the water forming behind her eyes would slip passed her tightly clenched lashes.

She pressed her lips together to quiet the moans, almost feeling her teeth break skin. Daryl's lips moved against her ear as he whispered to her. Stefani didn't hear a single word he uttered as she felt the tension in her lower half build quickly. Her body shook as she went over the edge, Daryl following shortly after. The heavy weight of him collapsing on top of her made her feel safe, a kind of safe that was something she hadn't felt in a long time.

"We should probably get out of here, and help."

"Can't we just stay here for a little longer?" She sighed following him as he got up. The pair reassembled quietly as they heard the people moving outside their tent.

She stood there, biting down on her lower lip as she composed herself enough to walk out of the tent. Again the anger was welling in the pit of her stomach. She wanted nothing more than to walk out there and punch her brother in the face.

"Nope, I can't do it." She said sitting back down. "I'll kick his ass if I walk out there now. I need some time to cool off. I mean, Jesus, I'm the only family he's got left. He thought protecting that bitch was more important. Dale and Jim were there, hell even Morales could have watched those two while he ran the five feet to help me."

"Hey," he squatted down in front of her. "He's an asshole. Sometimes blood's not the only thing that makes you family."

"How the hell do we have so much in common?"

"What, fucked up brothers and a great sex drive?"

She laughed at him, before leaning forward and kissing him quickly. With a smile on her face she stood and walked out of the tent. Daryl stood, running a hand over his face. Chewing on the side of him thumb before he decided to follow her, it was then that he realized he was falling for her.


	7. Chapter 7

Stefani spent the night helping everyone collect the bodies around camp. She made sure to avoid Shane as much as possible. She took her anger out on the walkers, driving a sharp pick axe into their heads making sure they wouldn't wake up. By the time the sun was barely breaking over the trees, there were piles of burning walkers and those that needed to be buried. She hated looking at the people that once occupied the camp with her ripped apart. She walked away from the group, finding a spot out of camp to calm her breathing. The dinner she'd had last night came up, and she wanted nothing more than to find a quiet place to escape the carnage.

"Are you okay?" Rick asked as she came up behind her. He placed a hand on her back while she was still slumped over, running soothing circles.

"The smell, I guess it got to me."

She stood up, trying to think of anything to say to him. There were a million different things that she wanted him to know, but none of them seemed appropriate. Losing him was the worst thing that had ever happened to her, and now that he was back it was painfully obvious that there was nothing but distance between them. The two stood in front of one another, somehow her hand clasped in his tightly. She couldn't bring herself to pull her eyes away from his beautiful blue ones.

"Stef, you alright?" The moment was broken the second Daryl's voice hit her ears.

"Yeah, just needed some fresh air." She moved away from Rick.

She smiled at Daryl as she passed him, lightly bumping his shoulder with hers. He kept his attention on the ex-police officer. There was something there, something that seemed more than just the friendliness of acquaintances. Stefani never said anything about Rick, and even when he came back with her from Atlanta nothing really seemed to have changed. Daryl wasn't sure why he was so curious all of a sudden, but he didn't like the thought of Stefani sneaking off alone with any other man.

"Hey, you pissed at me?" Shane called when he saw Stefani come back into the camp. She felt her hand clench the axe a little tighter before she felt it leave her grasp entirely. Daryl walked passed her, taking the axe and heading for another body.

"Why would you think that, brother?" She stood with her hands on her hips as he walked closer to her.

"Haven't seen you much since the fish fry, what happened?"

"I almost died last night. A walker had me pinned, again, I might add. I was screaming for you, but Daryl's the one that came through for me. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that my own flesh and blood didn't come to help me."

"There was a lot going on last night," Shane tried to explain.

"Yeah, I know. Kind of opens your eyes, doesn't it. Guess there's only a few people you can truly depend on." She said, pushing passed him and head over to take her axe back from Daryl.

"You good?" The redneck asked she took the tool from his hands.

"Fine, just let me bash in a few more skulls." He leaned in and placed a quick kiss to her head before moving away to take care of other walkers.

Stefani tried to stick to herself, helping only when the bodies needed to be moved. It was easier than having to deal with everyone else's emotions. She was still trying to decide on how she felt about everything. Between Shane's actions, Rick taking charge, and then the concern coming from Daryl she felt as though she were being pulled in multiple directions.

An argument over what to do with Amy broke out, and Stefani tried to stay out of it. If she wasn't so wired, she'd be sitting by Andrea's side trying to comfort her. It felt as though one thing after another kept coming. Glenn wanting to bury their dead, Daryl still pissed about losing Merle, and then Jim. She finally stopped moving as she saw the bite mark on the man's side. Standing with the group she chewed on her nail as they decided what needed to be done. Her eyes were glued to the ground as the men went back and forth.

The CDC suggestion from Rick seemed viable, if there was any way of knowing for sure if it was safe. Fort Benning came from her brother, and she hated to admit that she wasn't sure where she would rather go. Her eyes drifted up and she caught Daryl's stare. It would be so easy for her to just choose a side if she knew where he was leaning.

Daryl found himself glancing at Stefani more often than not. He felt the urge to do something, anything that would keep her safe. He couldn't wrap his mind around what the other men were talking about when it felt like the only option of keeping his safe was to eliminate the immediate threat, Jim and Amy. It was the only way he could be sure that Stefani wouldn't get attacked again. He stood there chewing on the inside of his lip as he only half listened to the conversation going on around him. His eyes ran over Stefani, stopping every so often to examine a bruise she had on her perfect tan skin. He said his piece, if the others didn't agree then he would just have to take care of things himself.

"You go looking for aspirin, or do what you need to do. But someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem." Daryl said as he rushed at Jim with axe in hand.

Rick and Shane went after him, and the second Stefani saw Rick grab the gun off his belt she moved quickly to meet the men. Lori was reaching out for her, but didn't get a hand on her before Stefani was standing between Rick and Daryl.

"We don't kill the living." Rick said as he lifted the gun to Daryl's head.

"Stefani, what the hell are you doing?" Shane called from behind her, but she kept her eyes glued to Rick's.

"Daryl, put the axe down." She said, still not looking anywhere but at Rick. "Please, just leave him alone."

She stayed where she was until she heard the axe fall to the ground. It wasn't until he was moving passed her did she let her breath come out of her lungs. Rick's gun was already down at his side, his eyes full of questions. She heard Shane take another step towards her, but she wasn't going to let the two men corner her.

"What are you thinking stepping in front of a gun like that, and for Dixon? Are you crazy? You could have gotten yourself killed." Shane called after her.

"Rick wouldn't have pulled the trigger with me there." She said as she moved away from the commotion to find some peace inside of her tent.

She fell onto her cot, trying to get a few minutes of sleep to calm her aching brain. The heat was unbearable and beginning to give her a terrible migraine. Her arm flopped over her eyes as she tried to force her brain to shut down. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep until she was shaken awake at the sound of a gunshot. Stumbling out of the tent, she was sadly relieved to see Andrea holding onto Amy with a fresh wound in her head.

"Stef," Lori called out as she stepped closer to the still shaking woman. "I need you to help me."

"With what?" Stefani asked trying to calm her breathing the second she saw Daryl come around the RV, helping T-Dog load wrapped bodies into the bed of his truck.

"Rick and Shane, you know them better than anyone. You need to help me get them on the same page. It will make everyone feel better knowing that they have the same plan."

"We are talking about the same men right? There is no way in hell I'm going to do that. I don't give a shit where we go as long as we're all together." She sighed walking away from the dark haired woman and going over to help Andrea wrap Amy in a blanket.

During the small service, Stefani found herself standing off to the side with Daryl. Most of the ideas he came up with were self-serving, but today she saw a side of him that she wished he'd shown everyone from the beginning. He cared about these people, maybe he wasn't sure how to express that, but she could see it. He was trying to protect everyone the only way he knew how and that was by killing walkers.

She took a step back, feeling her body connect with his. His arm wrapped around the top of her chest, and she reached up to hold onto him. Watching Andrea struggle to place Amy in her grave was painfully sad. Stefani couldn't stop imagining what she would do if something ever happened to Shane. If something happened to any of the people she cared about was a terrifying thought that was best reserved for those nights she couldn't sleep.

Finally she slipped out of Daryl's grasp as everyone was breaking up. He moved to his truck, and Stefani jogged to catch up with Shane on his way back to camp. She reached out for him, pulling on his arm to stop him.

"Hey, I wanna tell you something." She said as he pulled her into his side. "Where you go, I go. Okay, I will follow you to the end of the world and back. We're family, no matter how much of an asshole you can be, that will never change anything."

"You're my baby sister and I love you." He said kissing the side of her forehead. "Everything I'm doing is so I can keep you safe, keep everyone safe."

"I know, but you're not the only one anymore. I can keep myself safe."

"Yeah, you and everyone else, huh?" He gave her shoulder a squeeze before moving away from her.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"I need to talk to you about this?" Daryl said as she walked into Stefani's tent. She was sitting on her cot with her head in her hands. "Hey, you alright?"

"Fine, I'm fine. Jesus why does everyone keep asking me that?" She said fighting back tears.

"You don't gotta be fine all the time." Daryl said sitting next to her.

"What are we talking about? You want to go somewhere too? Drive all the way to Canada or something?"

"We don't have to go with them. It's dangerous to drive that far without knowing what's out there."

"**We **don't' have to go?" She turned, sitting on one of her legs in order to face his side. "You and me leave the group?"

"Can't be that bad an idea." He said glancing over at her.

"I can't. Shane's my family, and Rick he's been in my life for years. They might not be at their best right now, but I can't abandon them."

"You and Rick are close, huh?" He asked, turning his gaze down to the floor. "Seem to know each other pretty well."

"Yeah, we've been friends a long time." She leaned closer, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I know things are crazy right now, but I want you to come with us. I don't expect you to like it, or agree with everything they decide, but I want you there. **I** do, don't matter what anyone else thinks."

With that she kissed his shoulder before standing up and moving around the tent to pack away her things. I wasn't going to take long for her to put her clothes back in the duffle bag she carried, she couldn't help but shake out everything still hoping to find her necklace. It would make everything seem better if she had that safety net around her neck.

"If we get to Atlanta, I'm gonna go find Merle." He finally spoke up again. A small part of her thought he'd already left. "He might still be out there."

"Okay," this time she watched as he nodded and left the tent. She could feel him pushing her away again, but this time it felt right. It wasn't fair that she was attached to her brother's hip while he knew his was out there possibly fighting for his life, one handed. It would kill her if something happened to him and that thought scared her to death.


	8. Chapter 8

Stefani sat in the passenger seat of Shane's Jeep. The feel of the wind in her hair was relaxing. A part of her wanted to glance back and catch a glimpse of the camp they were leaving behind. She wanted to be with her family, that's what she had to keep reminding herself. As the truck in front of them pulled just a few feet ahead every so often, she should feel a pull in her chest. It was becoming more and more obvious that Shane wasn't the only family she had anymore, or needed. She was beginning to regret her decision to ride in the Jeep instead of the truck. She turned to see that Shane was watching her. A small smile covered her lips as she ran her hands through her hair.

"This is nice." She said, keeping her eyes in front of her. "Just wake me up when we get there."

Stefani woke up slowly as she felt Shane shaking her arm. Her eyes cracked open, adjusting to the blinding afternoon light. Everyone was out of the vehicles, smoke coming out of the front of the RV. Shane was already moving to the front to of the caravan before she was fully awake. She pushed the passenger door open and stretched before moving towards the group.

"Hey, what's going on?" She said through a yawn, yearning a smile from the two kids. "I was napping." She told them sticking her tongue out and moving to Daryl's side. "RV finally gave out? That's awesome."

He gave her a short laugh before moving to check on Jim from the door. "He ain't doing too good."

"I'll go talk to him," she said moving to the door.

"Don't," he pulled her back. "Let Rick, it ain't your responsibility."

They moved Jim out of the RV leaning him against a tree. One by one everyone said their goodbyes to the man they had grown to call family. This time instead of following her brother to the Jeep Stefani stopped short, reaching out for Daryl's hand. Without a word, he opened the door and let her slide in first before getting behind the wheel. When the caravan started moving again Stefani stayed by his side, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She reached up and laced her fingers through his as she let her eyes shut once again.

"Wake up sleepy head, come on." Daryl whispered against her ear. She smiled as she felt the tickle of his lips against her skin. "Let's go, it's getting dark."

She slipped out of the truck, following behind him as she checked for Shane. The group moved together towards the CDC doors. Daryl made sure to keep her within reaching distance, occasionally keeping a hand resting gently on the small of her back to guide her through the bodies littering the sidewalk. She watched as Rick moved to the closed doors, banging on them in hopes of getting someone's attention. She felt Daryl's hand fall from her back as he moved closer to where Shane and Rick stood.

It was as if everything they had worked so hard to keep had fallen over the edge. There was nowhere else for them to go, not now. With almost hazy eyes she watched as Shane pushed Daryl off Rick, before trying to convince him to go back. Fort Benning was too far and with the limited, if not spent, supplies that they had there was no way they would make it there anyway. She heard the hammer click on Daryl's shotgun and her attention turned to the walkers slowly heading their way.

"Rick," she called out as she moved around Shane. "Please, we need to leave."

"Come one everyone, back to the cars." Shane called and pushed Stefani in the direction everyone else was headed.

"Rick, let's go it isn't safe." She called again as she wrapped an arm around the one Daryl had outstretched for her. She didn't want to leave her friend, but there was only so much she could do before it became a lost cause. She moved with Daryl, nearly making it back to the sidewalk when they turned to see the doors opening.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Stefani rubbed her arm again at the soreness there from the needle. She lifted her wine glass to her lips as she savored the liquid. It had been too long since she had a good glass of wine. It might have been to food, the liquor, but most likely it was the sense of safety that had everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. Sitting off to the side, Stefani smiled as she watched her friends. Daryl came to sit next to her, taking large gulps from the whisky bottle in his hand.

"Didn't take you for a wine girl." He said leaning against her, just a little over the line to drunk. "Can't handle the hard stuff?"

"Oh, I can handle the hard stuff." She leaned in pecking his lips. "I'll prove it to you tonight."

Daryl let a genuine laugh escape his lips as she drained the last of her wine. Leaning over to reach for his bottle of whiskey, Stefani linked an arm around his neck and kissed him deeply. Forgetting they weren't alone, the couple continued to kiss until the children's chorus of 'ewws' broke them apart.

The group's laughter grew louder as Stefani glanced around embarrassed, Daryl hiding his face in the side of her neck. Her fingers ran through his hair as she took the whiskey bottle and brought it to her lips. She felt Daryl move slightly away from her, just enough to grab the bottle from her hands and yet still having her body pressed against his.

"You always were the affectionate drunk, weren't you?" Shane spoke up from across the table.

Stefani's eyes locked on his, trying her hardest to will him stop whatever was about to come out of his mouth next. It was becoming a habit of her brother's to say things without thinking them through and she was sure with the alcohol in his system it would only get worse.

"What can I say, I'm a happy drunk." She felt the eyes on her, all smiling and joyous.

"Not happy, affectionate." Shane corrected taking a healthy gulp from his bottle. "You see, the first time I ever saw you wasted was homecoming. You were falling all over yourself, remember Rick."

The attention of the group shifted from the siblings to the newest member. Rick nodded quietly, glancing sideways to his wife. Stefani's grip on Daryl's waist tightened, drawing his attention closer to her. There was something the three were remembering, and it seemed Stefani would rather let the conversation drop.

"We had to drag you home. Hell, I practically had to pry you off my best friend over there." Shane motioned to Rick. "Man, if it was anyone else I would have kicked you ass."

"You and Rick were together?" Glenn voiced the shock the group felt.

Stefani kept her eyes locked on her brother, refusing to move her gaze to Rick and his family. She assumed Lori knew, definitely not everything, but enough. It was a topic the group never discussed. It was a long time ago and better left in the past.

"In high school," Rick said. "Not for long."

"Not for long, man you two…" Shane laughed but Stefani was done.

"Enough Shane. We don't need to talk about that stuff."

Stefani stayed quiet the rest of the night. She turned to Daryl, kissing is cheek before taking the whiskey bottle out of his hand. It had taken her years to forget those first few months with Rick. The happy times, those were the hardest to push down. She didn't want to think that Shane had done it on purpose, he had hurt his sister in order to get the woman that he truly wanted. Lori knew, the very surface of the story, but she knew. Feeling the lax grip Daryl had on her hip, Stefani wondered if it would pull her already fragile relationship apart as well.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"What the hell were you thinking?" Stefani yelled the moment she followed her brother into his room. "That's not your shit to bring up, Shane."

"Sorry, we were all having a good time. I didn't think about it. Damn why is this bugging you?"

"You know why. You promised me that you would never bring my relationship with Rick up, especially in front of Lori and Carl. The last thing I want is to hurt the people we care about."

"Like who, Dixon?"

"No, there're things that you don't even know. Please, just don't do it again."

Stefani left the room, oversized shirt and a pair of boxers on. She quickly glanced down at her feet, sad to see her toes bare of color. It was the first time she could walk around without shoes on. A smile spread across her face thinking about the safety this place offered. She moved down the hall, running her hand through her messy curls. The door down the hall was her destination, and the thought of the man behind it brought a smile to her face.

"Where you off to?" Rick asked as he came up behind her. Stefani turned and her smile brightened.

"Bed, I was just saying goodnight to Shane."

"He's letting you off on your own? Must be drunker than I thought."

"I'm a big girl, I can make my own decisions. Besides, I've got a bottle of Southern Comfort waiting for me." She smiled again and stepped into him, wrapping her arms around him for a tight hug. "You have no idea how good it is to have you back. I don't think I've told you that yet."

"It's good to see you too." He whispered against her ear. Stefani leaned in and kissed his cheek before giving him a deeper hug.

Daryl stood in the doorway of his room, watching Stefani and Rick. It almost felt too intimate for him to watch. He didn't want to believe what Shane had said. Rick seemed like one of the good guys, if anything it would be Shane that would be the cheating asshole. The way Stefani was holding onto the married man, had him thinking something entirely different. They had a past and it was becoming obvious that it might not remain there.

"You heading off to bed?" Stefani asked as she finally pulled away.

"I'm going to talk to Jenner again before heading back to the room."

She reached out to squeeze his hand before turning back to her destination. Walking into the room, Stefani picked up the bottle of Southern Comfort and took a healthy sip. The water was on in the bathroom and a smile graced her lips. She quickly pulled her shirt over her head and stepped out of her shorts. Opening the bathroom door, steam engulfed her as she made her way to the shower. Taking another gulp of the burning liquid she pulled the door open and slipped under the warm spray. Her arms reached out and wrapped around Daryl's torso. It was the first time she was able to feel his flesh on hers.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked, trying to pull her away from him.

"Calm down, this is nothing new." She kissed his shoulder as she ran her hands over his stomach. "Aren't we passed the whole clothing required part of our relationship?"

"Just don't like to share the shower." He said as he moved around her, out of the water.

Stefani showered slowly, thinking about what she was going to say to him when she got out. A part of her thought it would be hot, sneaking up on him. She was sadly disappointed that he had left her alone. She wrapped a plush towel around her as she slipped out into the room.

"Thought we were going to share that?" She said as she sat on the edge of the couch. He passed her the nearly empty bottle. "Wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Nothing, you staying here?" He asked as he pulled the pillows off the couch.

"Do you want me to?"

"Do what you want." He said, lying down on the small cushions.

"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you? An hour ago you were having a good time with everyone and now I get stuck with this shit. You better start talking Dixon."

"It ain't nothing, just sex."

"Yeah, that's what we agreed on."

"Shut the lights off."

She did as he said, plunging the room into darkness. She timidly took steps towards the couch he was sitting on. Before she realized it, his large hands were on her hips. Her hands found his shoulders and she worked her fingers into his tense muscles. It felt as though his body was humming as Stefani felt him move his lips over her neck and one hand ran down that side of her leg. Her left hand wrapped around his head, fingers tangling in his still damp hair as she purred her approval.

That one noise was like a switch for him. Gone were the gentle caresses. He pulled the towel off her body and threw her across the cushions. His name barely escaped her lips before he was attacking them with such veracity that Stefani was fighting to keep up. It was rushed, like the first few time they were together. She wanted to blame the alcohol, but there was something else driving him. As she tried reaching out for him, he gripped her legs flipping her onto her stomach.

Daryl moved into her quickly and as deeply as he could. Stefani tried to muffle the cry she let out by biting down on the blanket in front of her. She tried to meet his thrusts, but his arms came around her pining her hands down and his full weight fell on top of her. It only took a few more thrusts before he was releasing inside her. Stefani took in a shaky breath as she felt him move away.

With trembling arms, she pushed herself up. He didn't say a word to her as she picked her clothes back up and redressed. Stefani couldn't bring herself to turn around as she headed out the door again. Once it shut behind her she allowed a strangled sob to escape her lips before she moved to the farthest room possible. Not bothering with the lights she curled into a tight ball on the couch and cried herself to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Stefani woke up in pain. She wanted it to be just the hangover, but on top of that there was the tightness in her hips, bruising on her waist and the annoying aching in her back. Getting dressed was irritating and unfortunately necessary. A little part of her still thought that it had been an awful dream. She thought coming into the CDC would mean that she could sleep in all day or more likely stay in bed with Daryl.

After last night she wasn't sure if she would be able to look at him the same again. She was falling for him, that much she was sure of. A part of her wanted to blame Shane and his stupid need to rehash the past, it was the only thing that could have caused the sudden shift in their relationship. A day ago he was comforting her, taking care of her like no man had before. She felt safe with him. Last night only made it all too clear that he was exactly the kind of man she had expected him to be. Like most of the men that she'd been with before, they wanted her for her body. The small amount of guilt that was eating at her was because she'd done the same thing to him.

Sitting at the breakfast table, Stefani only had a cup of coffee in front of her and she didn't take more than a sip. She was there for appearances. Jacqui had passed her the bottle of aspirin and had taken a few in hopes of dulling the pain. Ignoring everyone moving happily around her, Stefani focused on controlling her breathing and not the pain is caused. Shane came in and took a seat next to her, slipping a hand across her back. She turned slowly to glance at him and brought her fingers to the side of his neck.

"Ain't that bad." He told her as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Please don't, my head is killing me." She felt him laugh and run a comforting hand down her back. She tried not to flinch away from him. "I'm gonna get more coffee."

Daryl walked in, noticing her right away. Instinct told him to go to her side, but he knew that wasn't where she wanted him. Eventually he'd have to apologize, but not in front of everyone. He wanted to blame the whiskey, hell he could come up with a dozen excuses, but none of them would fix what happened the night before. He'd hurt her, something he'd promised himself wouldn't happen.

He stepped beside her reaching for a cup and waited for her to set the hot coffee down. Stefani's entire body seemed rigid. It was obvious that she was trying not to meet his gaze.

"Stef, come one. Jenner's got something to show us." Shane called as the rest of the group was leaving the room.

"I'll be right behind you." She said finally moving her gaze to the man beside her. "You look well rested."

"Yeah, well a decent bed will do that." He took a step towards her, lowering his voice to make sure only she could hear him. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Don't be, we were both drunk." She gave him a small smile before moving towards the door. "Just know that you owe me."

Daryl stood off to the side, watching the screen with the rest of the group. Stefani was with Shane, standing in front of him as his arms wrapped around her shoulders. It was strange watching the two together. One minute loving and happy, the next they could be at each other's throats. He was beginning to believe that they were a family living in denial. It was easier to pretend to be happy than to actually talk about what was bothering them. At the end of the world all that really mattered was being with the ones you love.

She sipped her coffee carefully. He could tell that she was still trying to recover from her various injuries and he hated to think about what she was feeling after what happened the night before. One thing he used to like about her was that she didn't like to talk. It wasn't her style to chat his ear off about everything. If anything they tried to keep things to themselves unless it was necessary. Daryl was beginning to hate that about their relationship. He needed to know where she stood with Rick, with Shane, and especially with him.

After hearing the news that there was no cure, that no one knew what it was or how it started, it suddenly became overwhelmingly obvious that he wanted to get to know her. She was all he had left now. He was interchangeable, she had plenty of people to look after her and care for her. She was the only one out of the small group that seemed to actually want him around.

Stefani caught his gaze as Jenner left the room. Shane was moving away from her towards Rick and the others. She gave him a small smile before she began leaving the room with the others. She made her way down the hallway lost in her own thoughts. A part of her wished she'd gone down to the basement with the men, at least that way she would be with her brother. She felt Andrea give her arm a squeeze before moving into her room. Stefani thought about going with her, but another pair of arms reached for her instead.

"I wanna talk to you." Daryl said as he pulled her into the doorway of his room.

"Really, last night was nothing." Stefani sighed as she moved further into the room.

"Not about that."

"Okay, then what?" She sat down on the couch, watching him stand nervously by the door. Finally he pushed it closed and grabbed the bottle of whiskey off the desk. "Are you going to share?"

He set the bottle down in front of her and thought about what should come out of his mouth first. He put his hand in his pocket, feeling for cool metal of the chain but finding only fabric. Stefani brought the bottle to her lips, relaxing into the cushions. She smiled and held the bottle out for him to take as he sat next to her.

"Hey, come on. What's going on with you lately? Hot and cold was never all that fun for me."

"What'd he do to you?" He asked, watching her carefully as she shifted against the seats. "Merle in Atlanta, what happened?"

"Nothing." She shrugged. "He pinned me against the side of the roof, said no one would ever love you like he does."

"Last night, what Shane said...?"

"Are you jealous?" Stefani tried to joke as he scooted closer to her. "What do you want to know? We were together for a few months. Friends for twice that."

She shifted so that her legs were draped over his, and reached for the whiskey once again. His fingers were twisting in her hair, softer now that she'd been able to wash it properly. In this moment it felt real. Whatever it was that they had was real.

"He was the first boy I ever loved." She confessed after a healthy gulp of the burning liquid. "Then I went to college and he met Lori and things went from romantic to platonic. He was just another brother. Besides that, I don't know what you want to hear? It's over, I don't feel that way about him anymore. But even when I say it out loud, it feels like I'm lying. I know that what we had was stupid, young love. He's married, that's the mantra I had to keep reminding myself." She finally turned to look at him, taking in his blue eyes. "That was before this. Whatever the hell this is."

"Sex," the word leaving his mouth sounded more like a question than an answer. She nodded as she brought the bottle back to her lips. Slowly, she got up and stretched out her sore muscles. As she leaned down, a glimmer of gold caught her eye sticking out from beneath a pile of clothes.

"What if it was more than that? I ain't saying I'm any good at this…" Daryl started, staring down at his hands. Stefani was only half listening to him, as she reached down for the chain, watching as the charms dangled down.

"What the hell is this?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Where did you find my necklace?"

"I didn't know it was yours. Found it on the highway outside of Atlanta."

She glanced back down at the locket, the clasp undone. The pictures were still there one of Shane and one of Rick, the two people she cared most about. There was no doubt in her mind that he knew who it belonged to. At least after he came to the camp and met her brother.

"I lost it weeks ago. How can you tell me you didn't know who it belonged to with these pictures?"

"Wasn't sure, not really and then I just forgot I had it."

She let out a choked laugh and ran a finger over the objects in her hand. "Is it always going to be this hard?"

"What the hell you mean?" He said getting up off the couch to move closer to her.

"All we have is family now and no matter how close this group gets, we're not blood. I have Shane and you Merle. There's just not enough room anymore. My family is Shane and Rick."

"What are you telling me? I'm not good enough to be included in that? I've saved your life more than both of those sons of bitches."

"But you're leaving." She yelled out, leaving the room in a stiff silence for a few breathes. "You want to find your brother and I think you should, but don't expect me to follow you. I can't leave them behind to be with you. Jesus, I barely know you, Daryl."

The two stood there. Both thinking about what to say next, Stefani looped the chain back around her neck. Her finger slipped through the ring slightly as she took in steadying breaths. Finally she looked up and met his eyes.

"There ain't a lot to know about me. Stefani, this isn't just sex and I don't think it has been for a long time."

She stepped closer to him, draping her arms over his shoulders. "Can't we just go back to sex? No strings, no feelings, just raw instinct. That was fun and easy."

"It ain't that simple."

At that moment the room was plunged into darkness, and Stefani took the opportunity to wipe the dampness from her eyes. Everyone was filing out into the hallway, Daryl yelling after Jenner. She joined the back of the group hoping that they would run into the others on the way. Lori yelled down for Rick as soon as the reentered that large room, Stefani quickened her steps down to meet Shane.

She reached out for his arm, tightening her hold on him. This time they were going to stay together through a crisis. He tried to run ahead, moving closer to Jenner but both Rick and Stefani pulled him back. He moved out of her grasp easily, staying in step with his friend. Stefani couldn't help but still her movements and watch as he once again abandoned her.

"Everybody go get your things, we're getting out of here now."

Lori took hold of Stefani's arm, the younger still too stunned to keep up with the events. Carl's arm tried to wraparound both of them, and the motion caused Stefani to bounce back to reality. The alarm going off, the group began to move back to the door. With the blaring siren and the yelling coming from the people, it was hard to focus on any one thing. Lori's hold tightened on Carl and again Stefani felt alone. Her eyes searched the crowd, but she couldn't find one person to focus on.

Glenn's voice almost cut through the pounding in her ears, but again she let it slip over her. Stefani moved towards the platform and reached for a chair. Bending over, she put her head between her knees and just focused on breathing. Everything was happening too fast and as the sobs began to escape from her companions, she knew that it would probably be better just to sit this one out.

It wasn't until the computerized voice began to explain the impending explosion did Shane move back to his little sister. He reached down and pulled her up, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Stefani didn't even realize she was crying until she felt the dampness on his shirt. Her hands fisted the cloth of his shirt in the back, holding him tightly to her. Even as she held onto her brother, she couldn't stop her eyes from following Daryl's retreating form.

"I'm gonna get us the hell out of here." Shane promised her as he finally let go of her and moved to get an axe off the wall.

Daryl wasn't sure why, but the need to protect Stefani pushed its way to the forefront of his mind again. It may have come off as a selfish act to get himself out, but he was going to take her with him if it was the last thing he did. She may not want anything from him, but she was still the closest thing to a best friend he'd ever had and he wasn't going to give that up without a fight. He took the second axe T-Dog had and began helping Shane hack at the door.

Carl reached out for Stefani's hand as he sat on the floor with his mother. She squeezed his hand, but remained standing with her eyes trained on the men at the door. There wasn't much else they could do but wait. She tried to smile down at him reassuringly, praying that he brother would find a way out of this, but she knew it wasn't convincing.

"Can't make a dent." Shane sighed, leaning against the bank of computers. She moved closer to him linking her arm though his.

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner announced.

"But your head ain't." Daryl came at him with his axe ready to strike.

Rick, Dale, and T-Dog forced him back. Stefani watched from the safety of Shane's arms. His grip on her tightened as they listened to what Jenner had to say about his conversation with Rick the night before. If the leader was giving up hope than what did that mean for the rest of them?

Shane let her go, moving somewhere out of her sight. Stefani turned at followed Daryl's motions. He was pacing like a caged lion and as much as she wanted to go to him, she knew that it wouldn't be right. Seeking comfort from him went again everything she'd said to him earlier. The sound of a shotgun loading pulled her attention away, and returned it to her brother. Rick called out to him, but Shane just brushed passed him and continued on his path to Jenner.

"Shane don't!" She called after him, but it didn't seem to have any affect. He then unloaded the rounds into the surrounding computers, before Rick took him down. Stefani rushed over, pulling Rick back before he could strike his friend. The siblings stood together, the younger trying to calm her brother down like so many times before. It was beginning for terrify her, the way his violent tendencies were getting more and more frequent.

Shane dragged her along as soon as the doors opened, but she kept her eyes on the two that didn't leave the room. She wanted to go to Andrea, try to convince her to come with them, but his hold on her was too tight. Before she could even make a move on her own, she was being led down the hallway and up the stairs. He didn't let her go until they were back in the lobby where they had entered the day before. She watched as they tried to open the doors or break through the glass. She held onto Carl's hand again as they waited for the men to figure out how they were going to leave.

Lori, Carol, and Stefani all huddled around the children when Rick pulled the pin out of the grenade. Once the glass shattered they were all sprinting through the opening and out to the vehicles. Stefani tried to follow a path back that didn't involve having to use her weapons, knowing that it would be impossible to retrieve her knives if she used them. She ran until she was at the back of the caravan. Daryl reached out for her arm, but she shook it off and moved towards Shane's Jeep instead.

As soon as she jumped in, he was covering her head from the explosion. Once the rubble fell, they slowly glanced back up. He held her face, making sure she was okay before bringing her into a tight embrace. She caught Daryl's gaze as he glanced back at them, sending him a sad smile.

"Told ya, I'd get us out." Shane said with a small laugh.

"Never doubted you, but where the hell are we gonna go now?" The siblings shared a grim glance at each other before Shane put the car into gear and pulled out with the caravan.

* * *

Well season 1 is coming to an end. Get ready because I'm going to be doing some major changes to season 2. I'd also love to know if I should just keep updating this story or create a knew one for the next season. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

Okay this is the first chapter leading into the second season! If you haven't seen the deleted scene for 2x1 then I suggest looking it up because it was awesome and should have been in the show. I also want to thank everyone for the reviews and follows I have been getting they make my day!

* * *

"I've been thinking." Shane said as he glanced over to Stefani in the passenger seat. "What if we headed out on our own?"

"You want to leave?" She said, finally looking over at him and moving her hair out of her face. "What about Rick, Lori, and Carl? They're like our family. I don't know how I'd feel about that."

"It's just a thought. Can't hurt to have some options."

"I guess not." She ran her hands through her hair again as they sped down the highway. Her eyes focused in on the truck in front of them.

"You don't have to come with me. I'd understand if you'd rather stay."

"And why would I stay without you?" She rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Maybe you found something more important, someone." He made a point to motion in front of them.

"There's nothing more important than family. Mom, taught me that." She said, reaching up for her necklace.

"You know I always thought you'd be married by now, settled down with a bunch of kids. Stef, you were the one that was always looking forward to making a family of your own."

"Do you really expect me to in a world like this? It's not safe for anyone. More attachments are just going to hurt."

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

The rest of the ride was silent as the caravan moved closer to Atlanta. The closer the city got, the more nervous Stefani became. She hated the fact that she expected the truck in front of them to pull off and head away from them. A part of her wanted to believe what she'd said to Shane, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew that it was too late for her. Daryl got under her skin, and she hated him for that.

As if knowing she was thinking about him, Daryl began honking his horn. He turned and started yelling back at Shane. Leaning over the side of the car, Shane saw what was in front of them. More guns were laid out in the road, probably dropped from one of the many cars they were passing. He turned and gave her a look, slowing his speed down.

"What the hell are you gonna do?" She asked, taking the wheel he was offering. "Shane, don't do this."

He slowed the car down enough for him to jump out and make a run for the guns. Stefani pulled the parking brake, stopping the vehicle with a jolt. She slid over to the driver's side, waiting for him to come back to the car and meet back up with the group. On intuition, she glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a dozen or so walkers quickly heading in their direction.

"Shane, watch out." Stefani yelled, she reached over and grabbed her gun ready to shoot any that got too close. "Come on, just forget them. Shane, please."

She needed to start the car before the walkers got close enough to reach her. Slowly catching up to the rest of the group, Stefanie tried to keep an eye on Shane. The RV, slowed down allowing the other vehicles to pass it. She saw the door open up and it was only then that she relaxed as Shane jumped in. It didn't take long before Rick was leading the pack again. She wasn't sure where they were going, but now she was alone. There was a time when she used to love taking long drives out of the city, she pulled her hair to one side and continued to follow behind everyone. If was the first time she had time to just let everything that happened over the last week go.

Finally they all pulled off the road, heading towards what looked like abandoned buildings. Stefani jumped out and ran over to Shane, punching his arm as hard as she could.

"That was the stupidest thing you've ever done. For guns, are you kidding me."

"Stef, keep your voice down." Rick said, moving passed the siblings.

"You could've died." She whispered to him.

"We needed the extra weapons. Don't worry about me." He said pulling her into his side and following after Rick.

"Where are we?"

"Those guys that took Glenn hostage, this is where they were hold up." Daryl said as he passed her. Stefani's steps almost faltered as they locked eyes.

"We parted on good enough terms, they should help us out for a few days." Rick said as they caught up.

"All those guns we gave them, they'll probably throw us a party. Good call, for once." Daryl said as he walked ahead of the group.

Shane kept Stefani close as they moved through the buildings. He helped her through one of the open holes in the walls in order to get into a courtyard. As they turned the corner, there were dozens of walkers busy finished what looked to be fresh kills. Stefani reached into the waistband of her jeans and pulled her pistol out. She stayed close to Shane as they all waited for Rick's orders. This close to the city, if they unloaded their weapons it would surely draw attention to themselves.

"To hell with the noise," Rick said before taking the first shot.

The rest of the group followed, only Lori and Carol standing off to the side with the children. With all the weapons they used, it didn't take long to finish off the walkers in the courtyard. Clearing out the rest of the building wasn't all that difficult either. At least for tonight they'd have a safe place to stay.

Standing in the middle of the auditorium, Stefani couldn't help but notice the bodies around them. The place looked destroyed, but also picked clean. If they were as well stocked as Glenn had told them in camp, it wasn't all that surprising if people came through and took what they needed. It worried her that even though these people had more than twice the man power that they did, they were still overrun.

"Upstairs if our best bet. We've cleared a few rooms and can barricade those if we have to. We'll be alright." Rick announced to the group.

"Do you mean it this time, or are you lying to us like all the times before?" Carol asked as she held her daughter to her tightly.

Stefani wanted to stay out of the argument, catching Rick's eyes as Lori stood up for him. It was strange times like these that she wished they could just have a few minutes to themselves. She missed talking to him. Before it had been lunches a few times a week or maybe a phone call or two. Those were the things that she had to get over when she found out he didn't make it out of the hospital. He was still her friend, and she wanted that normalcy in her life. She sent him a week smile as she heard Glenn speak up.

"What the hell happened?"

"What do you think? They got overrun." Andrea said, but it was Daryl's scoff that pulled everyone's attention. "Something to say?"

"Yeah, how about observant?"

"Big word coming from a guy like you. Three whole syllables."

"Walkers didn't do this. They didn't show up until all this went down. Somebody attacked this place, killed all these people and took whatever they wanted. They're all shot in the head execution style. Y'all worried about walkers, I'd be much more worried about the people that came and did all this. Get a dictionary, look it up. Observant." With that, Daryl walked out leaving the rest to think about what he'd just said.

"I don't know about this." Stefani said to Shane, gripping his arm. "He's right, walkers we're ready for, but if another group rolls through here what are we going to do?"

"We're fine. Just try to relax for the night. Tomorrow we're back on the road."

"And then what? We can't just keep moving. We don't have the fuel or the supplies."

"Just let me and Rick handle this." He reassured her, placing his hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"Shane you know I trust both of you with my life…"

"But what? You think we didn't notice?" He asked pulling her off to the side and further away from the group.

"Did you? Can you honestly tell me that you saw what Daryl was talking about but chose to ignore it? I saw the look on Rick's face, he didn't notice. We've been so focused on the dead that we don't even think about the other survivors."

"If you think your boyfriend's going to take better care of you then fine, go follow him."

"Shane, that's not what I meant and you know it. All of you just right him off as if he's not good for nothing. He's kept up fed for weeks and as terrifying as his temper can be, he's not that bad to have around. I'm just saying it might not be such a bad idea to include him a little more than you have."

"This doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you two…"

"No, besides it's not like that anymore. I've already got enough people to worry about, adding more will just run me into the ground."

After a meager dinner of beans and a few stale chips, Stefani tried to sleep, but there was no way that was going to happen in the crowded room. She caught a glimpse of Andrea sitting across the room, looking just as pissed off as she had hours before. It probably wouldn't have been so hard to sleep if not for the smell and the occasional sob coming from one of the children. She glanced down at Shane beside her. Even when they were kids he could always sleep anywhere, Stefani was always the opposite. Glancing around the room she saw the children curled around their mothers. She was almost jealous that they had that sense of security.

"I've got watch." Shane said as she sat up. "Try to sleep." He ran a hand through her hair before getting up.

When he walked through the door, Stefani tried to get comfortable. She laid down on her side and caught a glimpse of Daryl's back. It was an urge she'd had many nights before but she knew that she couldn't act on it. Again as if he knew she was watching him, Daryl turned over and caught her stare. There was something in his clear blue eyes that drew her to him. As quickly as he turned to her, he turned away.

This time it was her turn to get up. As quietly as she could, Stefani moved through the maze of bodies. Kneeling down, she turned to her side and laid on top of his back. She ran a hand down his arm and she leaned closer to his ear.

"I think if you really want to go find Merle, now would be your chance. It might be better for us to get some distance." She said, dropping her forehead to his shoulder.

"You think that's going to happen with you on top of me?"

"You're like a drug. I can't kick the habit as quickly as I would like."

"We're really stopping this? Don't I get a say in the matter?"

"Not anymore. I'm used to being used for sex and I was doing the same to you. Sex isn't supposed to be complicated, but along the way ours did."

Daryl turned his head, nudging her to look at him. Her eyes were brimming with tears when she finally reached his gaze. She wasn't sure what to do, so she just waited enjoying the feel of his body against hers for a short while.

"We've got more in common than you think." He said intertwining their fingers with the hand she had against his arm.

Stefani's breathing fell into rhythm with his, rising and falling with the movement of his chest. It was slowing lulling her into sleep, that and the subtle rubbing of his thumb against the back of her hand. Again her forehead fell against the back of his neck, it was always strange how much she loved the woodsy smell that seemed to radiate off of him. A little piece of her hated that he felt more like home than Shane did in the last few weeks.

Daryl knew that he had to be up for watch soon, but he wanted to make this last as long as he could. There were too many things that needed to be discussed between them, and with their history talking wasn't their strong suit. As much as he wanted it to just be sex, he knew that he had deeper feelings for her. He wasn't used to having a woman he cared about, and it was even rarer for one to be interested in him. It was stupid of him to think that Stefani would see him as anything other than a fuck buddy.

Carefully he rolled over and let her slip onto the floor. He moved his bag so that her head hit that instead of the tiles. He ran his fingers through her curls, pulling them away from her face before he placed a kiss against the side of her head.

"Daryl," Shane said as he reentered the room. He tried not to put any harshness behind his tone. "Come on man, it's your turn on watch."

Daryl got to his feet, walking around Shane to head for the door. He didn't realize that Shane followed until he reached to close the door. The two stood in the hallway for a moment, Shane carefully watching him.

"I said I was going to be nice to you, but I just want to make sure we're clear on one thing. Stefani's my baby sister and I'd die for her. She doesn't need anyone else looking out for her, Rick and I've got that covered. It might be best if you stepped back. Take it as a fling and leave her alone."

"Think I'm gonna hurt her?" Daryl scoffed as he took a step closer to Shane.

"Haven't you already?" The guilt that flashed across Daryl's eyes didn't go unnoticed and Shane shook his head slightly with a satisfied smirk. "You're not the type of guy she belongs with. Better you come to terms with that now."

Shane turned and reentered the room. Daryl stood and watched as he moved to Stefani. She woke up slowly, moving closer to her brother's coaxing words. Shane wrapped and arm around her back as she curled into his side. Daryl moved to the stairs and sat heavily. He wanted to bash the asshole's face in for thinking that he could take care of Stefani better than Daryl could, but he knew it would only cause more problems.

He knew what Shane said was probably right, Stefani's type was more of the all American guy. It was obvious from her brief relationship with Rick. But that didn't stop Daryl from thinking that he was different when he was with her. She was making him a better man, one that he liked being more than the way he was when Merle was around.

**Stefani laughed as she ran down the path to the lake. She could hear Daryl gaining on her, but she refused to turn around to see how much distance she'd had on him. It wasn't until she jumped up on one of the boulders did she feel semi-safe from his wrath. The crossbow she had in her hand was held over her head as she tried to balance herself on the narrow flat part of the rock**

"**Get the hell down." He said as he came to a stop a few feet away from her. "I mean it Walsh, this ain't no game."**

"**Actually it is. You must have had such a sad childhood." She laughed. "Come one, Dixon. Admit you're having fun."**

"**Chasing you around the woods wasn't on my list of **fun** activities today." He sighed watching her balance carefully on the rock. "Why don't you come down and we can go hunting like we planned?"**

"**Nope, this is more fun."**

"**Get the hell down, or I'm coming up to get you." He warned and the smile the broke across her face was all the answer he needed. **

**He jumped up onto the rock and reached out for her to catch his balance. Stefani yelped as she felt her foot start to slip. She fell into the water with a splash, Daryl waited a minute before moving closer to the water to make sure she came up for air. It didn't take long before she was breaking through the cool liquid, shaking her hair out of her face. The scowl on her face only lasted a few seconds before she was laughing again.**

"**Where's my crossbow?" He asked as he reached out for her hand.**

"**Don't know, you might need to look for it." She took his hand and pulled with all her weight to drag him into the water. **

**He came up for air, purposely splashing her in the face as he looked around for his bow. On the group near the rocks, he saw his precious weapon. She must have lost her grip on it before she fell in. The laughter coming from her only fueled his anger and he turned again to splash her. It didn't take long before they were both fighting in the water with smiles across their faces. **

"Daryl, you can go. I've got last watch." Rick said from behind him. He stood up and moved back towards the room. A part of him wished he could go back to her and have her in his arms through the last few hours of sleep before they had to move on, but he knew Shane would definitely have a problem with that. It was probably for the best that he started getting used to not having her around as soon as possible.


	11. Chapter 11

I'm so so so so sorry for the long wait. Everything seemed to happen at once, and let's just say that after last nights episode it kicked my ass into gear. Thanks again for everyone who has favorite, followed, and reviewed.

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"We're leaving the Jeep?" Carl tried to stifle his laugh as he watched Stefani pout as Shane threw her duffle bag out of the back. He and Sofia were sitting on the hood of the Station Wagon as the adults decided which vehicles were staying. "Where the hell am I supposed to go, if we don't have a car, Shane?"

"Ride in the RV with everyone else." Shane tried not to laugh as the angered face she had.

"That's five people in that stuffy RV."

"Well the wagons full too, so it doesn't look like you have options there, Princess."

With a childish huff she moved away from her brother, she sent a sidelong glance in the direction of the children, but they were still too busy covering their smiles to give her any sympathy. She threw her bag into the RV, narrowly missing Glenn's head as he moved to sit in the passenger seat. There were very few times in Carl's life that he got to see this side of Stefani. Normally she was too busy trying to act like a grown up, which made her childish side that much more entertaining.

"Hey sour puss," Rick called out to her. Stefani glanced around her before she took a tentative step closer. "Why don't you ask Daryl for a ride?"

She knew that he hadn't meant anything by it, but there was something knowing in his blue eyes that made Stefani uneasy. It was like high school all over again, where she felt guilty for even flirty with a boy her own age when she knew that Rick was waiting for her in the parking lot. There was something almost too normal about the feeling that sent butterflies swarming to her stomach. She wished it was at the prospect of hopping on the back of Daryl's bike, but she knew herself better than that.

"It's been years since I was on one of those. Maybe if he'd kept the truck, but I don't think Shane would be too happy with me on the back of a bike." She said, throwing a fleeting glance in the redneck's direction. "He tried to shoot the last guy I rode with and he liked him a lot more than he likes Dixon."

"Are you sure that's what's stopping you?" He asked again with that knowing look.

"We need some distance." She sighed.

"How close were you before?" He asked, taking a curious step closer.

"Not near as close as we were."

With that Stefani walked towards the RV and took a seat across from Andrea at the table. It didn't take long for the loud roar of Daryl's bike to pass the caravan's largest vehicle and take the lead. Soon Dale put the RV in drive and they were heading down the road. Shane sat down and slipped his arm around Stefani as they watched the city pass by in the small window.

"I think I should lie down." Stefani sighed as she pushed Shane's arm away from her. "I'm not feeling so well."

"Are you alright? Is there anything I can get you?" Shane asked as he stood up to let her out.

"No, I just didn't sleep well last night."

She slipped into the back, slowly lowering herself onto the bed. It was softer than the floor they had slept on the night before and her bruises were thankful. The curtains were pulled tight as the early morning sun illuminated the back room. Stefani pulled a blanket over her head and tried to block out the throbbing that coursed through her body.

"Everything alright, Stefani?" She sighed as she heard T-Dog's voice. Normally she wouldn't hesitate to brush someone off, especially with such a trivial question as 'alright'. No one was alright any more, but she needed to talk through everything that had happened over the last week.

"I fucked up." She said as she lowered the blanket. "I was never good at cold turkey. A cigarette or bottle of vodka would help, but all I can think about is this incessant need to be with someone who is so wrong for me."

"Dixon can't be that bad." She felt her heart sink for a bit. If only it were as simple as fucking the wrong guy, but it was the warring going on between her head and heart that was driving her insane.

"No, but I only know that because I've been with worse. There aren't that many choices now-a-days and all I can think about is being with the one man that is completely wrong for me."

"That might be love, sugar." T-Dog said as he glanced back to where Shane was sitting with Andrea.

"If it is then I'm even more fucked than I thought. I can't be in love with him. He's not my type of guy."

"And who is? From what I've seen, as hot-headed as that guy is, he can take care of you."

"And hurt me." The two held each other's gaze. If there was anyone Stefani wanted to tell, it would probably be T-Dog, but she wasn't sure how to bring it up. Daryl hadn't raped her, and it made her sick to think that anyone would think he could. It was just rough sex, something that she was too used to. A part of her thought that maybe she'd missed the signs. He didn't seem like all the other assholes she'd dated in her life. He was timid when it came to sex, she was always the instigator, but something had changed that night at the CDC. She knew that it had something to do with Shane bringing up the past, but putting Rick in the equation was only going to cause more damage.

"Oh jeez," Dale's voice flowed through the RV. Stefani and T-Dog made their way out of the back to see what was happening.

Stefani felt her heart leap into her throat as she noticed that the motorcycle wasn't in front any longer. She leaned on the seat next to Shane as every looked at the sea of abandoned vehicles. The RV came to a stop, as did the station wagon behind them. She tried not to let the happiness show as she heard the motorcycle come back through the maze of cars. They moved slowly through the open spaces, glancing into the cars and the people that were left there.

The RV came to a halt as smoke began to billow up from the engine. The radiator hose had gone out.

Everyone had split up, moving through the cars in order to find anything that would help their supplies. Stefani held onto Carl and Sophia's shoulders as the group moved down the road. "Lori, Carol I'm going to take the kids down a bit to see if we can find some fun things to bring back."

"Just keep them within your sight, please." Lori said as she watched the three move further away.

Carl moved ahead of the girls, reminding Stefani of his father. He was so much like Rick that it brought a smile to her face. Sophia stayed close as the girls continued to travel hand in hand. Stefani swung their arms as they walked, bring a smile to both of their faces. It was nice to be out and stretch their legs for a little while.

"Not like shopping before, is it?" Stefani sighed as she eyed the contents of an open trunk.

"We didn't go shopping a lot before." Sophia confessed, holding on tighter to her doll.

"Well, if you see anything you want, tell me. We need to stock up on things that will make us happy."

"What makes you happy?" The innocence in the question almost brought a tear to Stefani's eyes.

"I don't know yet, but I'll settle for clean clothes and maybe some comfortable shoes." The two girls shared a smile as they continued on their way down the highway.

Stefani caught a quick Daryl's stare over the hood of a car he was siphoning gas from. She wanted to say something, give him any kind of reassurance that she wasn't angry at him, but nothing came to mind. Instead she turned away, smiling down at Sophia again. It was surprising to see that the young girl was already staring at her.

"Why are you and Daryl fighting?" The little blonde asked as they pulled clothes out of the back of a minivan.

"Why are you so interested in mine and Daryl's relationship?" Stefani shot back.

"I always thought it would be fun to have a sister, one that would tell me all about her boyfriends and make up."

Stefani felt a little guilty after hearing that. Sophia was almost a teenager and she would never have the life Stefani did. With a sad smile, Stefani sighed as she continued to pull materials out of the large suitcases.

"We're not fighting. We're giving each other a little bit of space. Sometimes when you're with someone all the time it's hard for you to think about other things."

"What else is there to think about?"

"Surviving, Sophie." Stefani said as she locked eyes with the little girl. Even though she was young, Sophia knew how important it was to live another day. "Come on, I don't think we're going to find anything in this car."

As the two girls moved on, Carl came around another car and met up with them. Sophia moved away from Stefani and headed towards the boy. It was cute the affection the two had for each other. Stefani smiled as her eyes once again swept over the cars to find the dirty redneck that seemed to always push his way into her mind.

"Get down, now." Stefani heard Rick call out.

Suddenly all sense of peacefulness flew out the window. Stefani reached out for Carl and waited for both of the kids to crawl under one of the larger trucks. She slipped under a car next to them, keeping her eyes trained on the stumbling feet heading their way. For a split second, her worried gaze met Rick's and she hated the way her heart leap into her throat. He was concerned about Carl and Lori, she could tell. Even if for a moment he showed her some worry, she knew that it wouldn't last long.

The herd of walkers passed slowly, feeling like hours under the cars on the boiling road. Stefani wondered where Shane was, if he had found cover before the walkers appeared. She wanted to know where Daryl had disappeared to. As she watched the last of the shuffling feet pass, she let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. Her eyes scanned across to the children again to see if both were still safely under the truck.

She franticly shook her head, hoping to get Sophia's attention as the little girl began to crawl her way out from under the abandoned vehicle. Carl wasn't aware of what was happening beside him, his eye locked on his father's. Stefani wanted to reach out for her, but was too far away. It wasn't until the cries of the little girl rang out through the seemingly quiet highway, did everyone draw their attention to her.

Two walkers were reaching for her, running after the small girl as she ran down the side of the highway. It didn't take long for Rick to take off after her. Lori tried her best to hold Carol back, but it wasn't enough. The mother wasn't going to let her little girl run off alone. It was Stefani that took off after her.

"Carol wait," the younger woman called out as she tried her keep her feet under her as she sped down the sloped side of the highway. "Please, come back."

"They're after my baby." Carol announced as she finally came to a stop just inside the tree line. The two women took in the eerie silence with heavy breathes.

"Rick's going to find her."

"She's all I have left." The tears and fear in the older woman's eyes broke Stefani.

"Okay, but we need to be smart about this." She pulled one of her knives out of its sheath and handed it to the other woman. "Running around the woods with no weapon isn't going to help anyone." All she got was a tentative nod.

Moving further into the trees, Carol became more and more nervous. Stefani tried to keep her head, remembering what little she could from the few times she went hunting with Daryl. It was stupid to come out here without him. Her eyes were straining to focus on anything that would tell her which direction Sophia had headed. It wasn't until she stopped to inspect a distinct footprint, did she realize it was too quiet.

"Carol," she called out as she scanned the foliage around her. This couldn't really be happening, she thought. She still had to be dreaming in the back of the RV. "Carol!"

She turned around a few times, a sinking feeling forming in her stomach. It smelt like death. Everything smelt like death these days. She tried to keep the bile from rising up like it had a tendency to do so often recently. Taking in a steadying breath, she tried again to look for anything that would point her in the direction of either Carol or Sophia.

She started to move again, slowly jogging towards the sound of water. Every little sound had her jumping. A small part of her wanted to run back to the highway and get one of the others to help her, but she wasn't even sure if she could find her way back at this point. It was best just to keep going, praying she'd run into the girls or Rick.

As Stefani checked behind her one more time, she felt something solid connect with her front. Leaping back, it took her a moment register the little girl in front of her. In a quick movement she wrapped her arms around the girl, drawing her back into her body.

"Sophia, sweetheart, are you alright?" The older of the two dropped down to a knee, examining the little girl closely for any bites or scratches.

"Rick said to head back to the highway. The walkers were following him."

"Okay, let's head back."

Stefani kept Sophia tight against her side as the two continued on the same path Sophia had started on. Stefani knew she should probably say something about Carol missing, but she didn't want to upset the girl while they were still exposed in the woods. A meltdown could be better contained near the group. All the while, she was still keeping her eyes open for the mother.

"Are we almost there?" Sophia asked as her hand fisted more of Stefani's shirt.

"Almost, try to stay quiet." They moved a few more feet before Stefani pulled her to a stop. Something shining in the distance caught her eye. "Sophie, I need you to take this and stay behind these bushed for me. I won't be far, just wanna to check something out."

The little girl took the knife that was offered and ducked down behind the thick bush. Stefani slowly walked towards the object that had caught her eye. Kneeling down, she closed her eyes with a low sigh. It was the knife she'd given Carol earlier. Picking it up, she glanced back towards the little girl. She hoped that it had just been dropped by mistake. Carol was a smart woman, she would make it back to the highway.

"Stefani," Sophia called out. "Stefani, walkers."

"Shit," crossed her lips before she stood up and threw a knife towards the closest walker. There were three more heading in their direction and she tried to determine which the biggest threats were. Throwing another knife she moved closer to the dead, trying to cut them off before they got any closer to the girl. Plunging a knife into one of their eye sockets she pulled it out before turning to the last.

It was closer than she'd expected and reared back as it tried to reach out for her. Backing up, her foot caught on a root and twisted. Another curse slipped passed her lips as she fell on her ass and stared up at the growling walker. Out of nowhere, a rock collided with the side of its face. The rock wasn't big enough to cause any damage, but it gave Stefani time to recover and stand up just in time to thrust the knife into the back of the walker's head.

"Can we go now?" Sophia asked with a slight tremble to her voice.

"Yeah, come on." Stefani moved slowly towards the little girl. Before the two could continue on to the highway, another group of walkers appeared behind a group of trees. "This can't be happening."


	12. Chapter 12

Alright, I'm sorry again about the late updating. But good news is that I'm finally catching up and should be back on track again soon. I may not be updating twice a week anymore, but at least once. Thanks again for all of the reviews, follows, and alerts!

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Shane couldn't remember a time in his childhood when Stefani didn't win at hide and seek. She was always finding somewhere clever to hide, never afraid of what could be hiding with her. It was a trait that he knew would help her survive in this new harsh world. He never thought that they'd be separated though.

As he followed Rick back to the creek where he'd left Sophia, Shane couldn't help but keep his eyes peeled for his little sister. He knew deep down that he'd rather be looking for her than the little girl, but Stefani's chances at survival were a lot bigger than Sophia's. A part of him wondered if Daryl was thinking the same thing or if he'd taken what Shane had said to heart and put her out of his mind. It wouldn't be surprising if the redneck didn't even notice that Stefani had run off.

"She's a smart girl. I wouldn't worry about her." Rick had said when he convinced the other men to follow him into the woods in search of Sophia. He knew Stefani as well as Shane did. If he thought she'd make her way back, than Shane wasn't going to argue. When it came to Stefani, Rick had a tendency to know what he was talking about.

"Are you sure this is the spot?" Daryl asked as he stood in the creek with Rick.

"I left her right here. I drew the walker way off in that direction up the creek."

Again Shane found himself wondering what they were doing standing around the creek when Sophia could have headed off in a million different directions. He wanted to break off. Someone should be out looking for his sister. Three people were missing from their group, but one was family and that had to count for something. He helped Daryl and Rick out of the creek, trying to be as reassuring as he could to his friend. It was obvious that he was broken up about losing the little girl.

"She was doing just fine 'til right here. All she had to do was keep going, but she veered off that way." Daryl said as he crouched down to the ground.

"Why would she do that?" Glenn asked.

"Maybe she saw something that spooked her, made her run off." Shane piped in, silently hoping it could be his sister.

"Could be, but there are two sets of prints that go off in that direction." Daryl said.

"Carol or Stefani, maybe?" Glenn said with a little bit of hopefulness in his voice.

"So what do we do? All of us press on?"

"No, better if you and Glenn get back up to the highway. People are gonna start panicking."

"You think I'm not? Rick, that's my baby sister out there."

"We both know Stefani can handle herself. If Sophia's with her we'll find them safe, probably hiding out somewhere." Rick tried to reason with his partner. "Head back and let them know we're on their trail doing everything we can, but most of all keep everybody calm."

"I'll keep them busy scavenging cars, and think up a few other chores. I'll keep them occupied." He took a few steps away from the group, Glenn following before he stopped and glanced at both the men staying behind. "Find her."

"Come on, they can't be far." Daryl said standing up and motioning for Rick to follow him.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"Are you okay?" Sophia asked as the pair continued to slowly move through the woods.

"Fine, just my ankle." Stefani took the younger girl's hand in hers. "Come on, the highway can't be that far away now."

"We've been moving in circles. Are you sure this is the right way? Maybe we should just stop and wait for them to find us."

"Sophie, we stop and we die. Those walkers on the highway could be crawling through these woods. If we keep moving we'll be safe."

"How will they find us?" Sophia asked as tears began to slip from her eyes.

"Everyone's gonna be looking for you sweetie. All I have to do is keep you alive and they'll find us, I promise." Stefani pulled her in for a tight hug, keeping her eyes scanning the trees around them.

"Shane's looking for you, right?"

"Yeah, all my life he's been keeping tabs on me. Sophie, I promise you we'll get back to the group."

"Can we just sit here for a minute and rest? I wish we had some water."

Stefani nodded in understanding, letting the little girl slip from her fingers and sit next to a tree. With slight hesitation, Stefani joined her. Leaning again a tree trunk, she reached out for her ankle to gently massage the sore appendage. She knew it wasn't broken, but it wasn't at a hundred percent either. A part of her hoped that she hadn't been lying to the girl next to her. Even if Carol was still missing, someone from the group had to be looking for them.

"Alright, let's keep going. I think we should head back the way we came. We should've already hit the highway if it was this way."

Sophia got up, reaching out for Stefani's hand as the older of the two turned back around. The little girl felt Stefani's hand hold hers a little tighter as they continued on their way. It was becoming more obvious that she was in pain. Stefani was trying not to let her injured ankle drag them down. It was already causing more noise than necessary as she kept it close to the ground, dragging leaves and twigs with her.

"Something ain't right." Daryl said as he continued to follow the girl's tracks. "These tracks are right on top of each other, but one of them is hurt." Rick tried to see what he was talking about. "There, this set of tracks, she's dragging her left foot."

"Could she be bit?"

"I don't know, maybe." Daryl tried not to sound too concerned. He knew that there was a chance that it could be Stefani with Sophia. Maybe even a big possibility, but the thought that she could be injured in anyway only made him want to find her more.

"You think it's Stefani." Rick finally spoke up. "The one with Sophia is Shane's sister."

"Could be. They're moving further away from the road though."

"I wouldn't be worried about her. Fani's always been a survivor, she'll keep them alive." Daryl watched him for a second, trying to gauge what the ex-cop was trying to say.

"Who said I was worried about her?"

"I guess I just assumed you two were close. The way you acted around each other before, I thought maybe there was something there."

"Well there ain't. Come on, we're gonna lose the light." Daryl sighed moving further into the woods.

As Rick followed close behind, he couldn't stop his mind from wondering. This was the guy that Stefani decided was good enough for her at the end of the world. He knew that she probably didn't have many choices available to her. A small part of him was okay with the idea, knowing that Daryl was a decent enough guy, but another knew that no one would ever be good enough for her.

The sun was beginning to set as the two made their way back towards the highway. Rick knew that as soon as they got there people would have questions. Three of their people were missing, one of them a little girl. The only reassurance he could give them was that someone had found her and was hopefully keeping her safe.

"In the morning we'll start searching in groups. The more eyes out there the better chance we have at finding them. Tonight we just have to hop their safe." His eyes locked with Lori for a moment of reassurance, but the woman had little hope in her gaze.

Shane sighed before heading over to the car he was working on before. He couldn't leave without knowing that his baby sister was alright. It had been stupid of him to come back, it should have been him out there looking for her all afternoon. Since they were kids it was his job to look after her, and this was not the time to let that go.

"We'll find her, brother." Rick reassured his partner with a hand on his shoulder.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Stefani was beginning to loose feeling in her leg, starting at her ankle and slowly making its way up to her knee. She was concerned, but there was nothing she could do about it now. Sophia was walking next to her, tightly holding onto her hand. The light was beginning to fade and they needed to find somewhere safe to hold up for the night.

"There's gotta be a house around her somewhere, for God's sake, this is back woods Georgia." Stefani sighed as she leaned against a tree for a moment.

"Why aren't we at the highway yet?"

"Sweetie, this is not the time to think about the group. We need someone safe to stay the night. I need to get off this foot."

The two began to move again, breaking through the trees to a clearing. Stefani let out an audible sigh of relief. There was a little farm house tucked away between a few trees. If there weren't a lot of walkers, and she could clear it quickly, it would make a nice place to stay until the rest of the group found them. She turned and knelt down in front of Sofia, taking out her gun and handing it to the little girl.

"I need to go check out this house. Take this and stay hidden behind this bush. If I'm not back in a few minutes, you run. If you see any walkers you run, don't use this unless one if coming at you and there's no time to move. You let out one shot and you run like hell." She saw the fear in Sophia's eyes. "We're gonna be fine, sweetie. It shouldn't take me long."

As quietly as she could, Stefani moved closer to the house. She hoped there weren't any walkers waiting on the inside. She should have gotten more sleep the night before. Her energy level was decreasing and her ankle wasn't helping. Moving around to the front of the house, she stopped and ducked behind the porch railing. There were at least five walkers huddled around a fresh kill. From what she could see it looked to be a doe. As long as they were focused on their dinner, she would be able to get back to Sophia and move on before any of them saw her.

Standing to leave, Sophia caught sight of a familiar figure. Her heart lurched to a stop as began to recognize the sweater on one of the moving corpses. As quickly as her legs could carry her, she moved back to Sophia. She wasn't sure if they could hear her stumbling through the leaves, but she needed to move the little girl.

"Sophia, come on. We gotta go. There's too many, this place isn't safe." As the words left her mouth she heard the grunts and moans coming from behind her.

As quickly as the two could, they began moving back through the woods. Stefani took the gun from the girl, and took a deep breath. For a moment they stopped, staring at each other. "Run," Stefani said as she turned and leveled the gun on a walked.

With sobs escaping her mouth, Sophia listened and continued running. Stefani emptied her clip and turned to run in the same direction as Sophia. It was easier because of the little girl's cries. By the time she caught up she found Sophia on the ground holding her arm and crawling away from a walker. Quickly Stefani ran up and plunged her knife into the back of its head.

"Stefani, my arm." The girl cried. It was hard to pull her off the ground, but the two continued to move at a much slower pace.

They came out of another clearing as the sun was just falling over the horizon. Stefani could see a fence close, she only hoped that maybe there was another fence or barn they could hide in for the night. Sophia was still sobbing next to her, as they moved holding her arm to her chest tightly.

As they moved closer to the fence, a house came into view. Stefani tried to push Sophia a little faster, hoping to get out of danger as soon as possible. She helped her over the fencing as carefully as possible before jumping over herself. As they began to make their way across the yard, Stefani realized that there were lights on in the little house.

"Stop, don't come any closer." Stefani pulled Sophia behind her, hiding the girl from the large man aiming a gun at them.

"We're alive. Please, we're hurt and lost from our group. We just need a place to stay the night."

"Are you bit?"

"No, her arm is most likely broken. My ankle is twisted. We'll be out of your hair by morning."

"Come on, we have a doctor that can look at her arm." The man said, lowering his weapon.

"Thank you, thank you." Stefani sighed. She reached behind her for Sophia's hand as the two followed the man towards the house.

It was a nice farm house, one that Stefani could imagine seeing in a magazine or something. It was strange seeing it so untouched by the devastation that was going on around them. They moved at a much slower pace than they had the rest of the day. It was nice that for a moment they were safe. Sophia's sobs had lessened, as she held Stefani's hand.

Inside the house was just as impeccable as the outside. The girls stayed close to the door as the man continued on inside to call for the others. Stefani felt her hand instinctively reach for one of her knives. As safe as the home felt, she knew that there could still be plenty of dangers.

"She your daughter?" An older man with white hair asked as he moved into the room.

"Sister, Sophia. Her arm's hurt pretty bad." Stefani explained as she watched the room fill.

"Why don't you to follow me, we'll get you fixed up. Maggie here can get you two something to eat."

"Thank you," she paused not sure who she was talking to.

"Hershel, the man that brought you here is Otis and his wife Patricia will be helping me check you over."

"I'm Stefani. I don't know how to repay you for this. We're grateful."

The two followed him into a room off to the side. Sophia slipped onto the bed while Stefani took a seat in the corner. Hershel gently took Sophia's arm in his hand and she tried not to yell out in pain as he prodded it with his fingers.

"It's broken sweetheart. I'm going to have to make a splint and find some way of immobilizing it for a while." Stefani sighed as she gave the girl a small reassuring smile. "Why don't you go get cleaned up as best you can and then I'll splint the arm."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Stefani asked as she began to get up.

"I'm okay." She said following Patricia into the bathroom.

Hershel helped Stefani remove her boot and look over her ankle. She winced as he fingers moved over the swollen skin. "How did you lose your group?"

"There was a horde of walkers that over took us while on the highway. A few of them ran after Sophia. Her mother and I went after her."

"Your mother?" He asked with a worried expression.

"I'm sorry. I lied before. She's not really my sister, but you never know when meeting new people." She sighed and took in a breath. "I do have a brother though. He's probably out there worried sick. There's about ten of us. We've been on the road for days."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Tomorrow after you girls get a good meal and a full night's sleep, I'll have Otis drive you to the highway."

"Thank you, that's awful kind of you."

He smiled up at her, helping take her other boot off as well. "In a few days you'll be good as new. It doesn't look like it's anything serious."

Maggie came in then with clothes for both the girls to change into after their showers. After Sophia came out, Stefani stayed until Hershel was able to stabilize her arm. They ate the first meal in weeks that actually consisted of most of the food groups. Sophia fell asleep almost as soon as her head it the pillow. Stefani went into the bathroom and took her time under the warm spray of water. As she ran her hands through her hair she felt the sting of tears falling from her eyes. The water began to run cold and she dried off with a fluffy towel. It was almost too normal.

She slipped into the bed next to Sophia, allowing the girl to move closer to her. Her hand ran through the girl's short blonde hair, as she tried to force her mind to succumb to the exhaustion her body felt. Lowering her lips slightly, Stefani brushed the top of Sophia's head.

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed as she let the tears draw her into sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

I want preface this chapter with the fact that it has very little to do with Stefani and Daryl, and a lot more of her past and possibly present relationships. Please don't let the content draw you away, I promise eventually all will be right in the world.

* * *

Sophia woke up alone in an unfamiliar bed. For a moment she forgot about everything that had happened the night before. It all came rushing back to her quickly as she searched for Stefani in the faint light. She heard sounds coming from the adjoining bathroom and slid out of bed to investigate. Just as she was about to open the door she heard the sounds of gagging.

She stood outside the door, waiting for Stefani to come out. A little part of her hoped it wasn't anything to do with the food, she'd enjoyed just as much as Stefani had. A flush finally came and as the water from what she suspected was the sink came on she slowly made it back to the bed. A light flooded the room for a second before plunging back into darkness. Stefani returned to her side of the bed as silent sobs racked through her body. Sophia rolled over and hugged the woman beside her as they both fell back into a restful sleep.

"**I love you, you know that?" Stefani laughed at the question as she snuggled further under the covers. She pulled them up over her head, only pulling them down far enough to stare into his brilliant blue eyes. **

"**I'm not as dumb as I look." She smiled up at him, leaning in to kiss him full on the lips. "There's a possibility I love you more."**

"**No, I'm pretty sure that's impossible, Fani."**

"**Jesus, I hate that nickname." She groaned as she slugged him with a fist. "Shane calls me that, I don't really like to hear it while I'm in bed with his best friend." **

**Rick laughed again as he rolled on top of her. He wanted to make the most of the weekend they had. It wouldn't be long before Stefani had to head back to Atlanta, and the few hours they had left together never seemed like enough.**

"**Come to Atlanta with me." She asked for the thousandth time. "You could join the police department there."**

**His lips found hers again as he ran his hands down the sides of her body. Stefani moaned into his mouth as his tongue brushed against her lips, wanting access. She parted his lips in order for him to run his tongue along the length of hers. Her body arched up and rubbed again him, wanting to go another round before she would have to leave. It wasn't until his hands found her lower stomach did her movements stop. His eyes lowered and glanced down at where his hands laid on the flat flesh. **

"**I love you so much."**

"**I know, Rick." She placed her hands on either side of his face. He tilted his head and placed a kiss on her open palm, enjoying feeling the cool metal of the ring he'd recently placed on her finger.**

"**Stefani…"**

"Stefani…"

She woke slowly, the dream holding onto her longer than necessary. The sun was streaming in through the thin curtains on the window. Sophia had sat up, sitting on the edge of the bed. As soon as Stefani was able to sit up she regretted it. Without a word she rolled out of bed and ran for the bathroom.

This time Sophia didn't wait for her to finish, instead she ran out of the room to find Hershel. It wasn't hard to find him and within a few minutes they were standing outside of the bathroom. Stefani could hear them on the other side of the door, but she couldn't do much other than feel her stomach clench. Everything she'd eaten the day before seemed to make a repeat appearance. When she finally felt the quivering calm, she stood up and rinsed out her mouth.

"Everything alright, honey?" Patricia asked as she cracked the door open.

"Yeah, guess dinner didn't settle too well with me."

"Sophia said you threw up last night too." The older blonde asked as she moved into the room and closed the door behind her.

"The adrenaline, all the running and pain, I think my body wasn't ready to slow down just yet." She held her stomach, hoping nothing would cause her to heave again. "If I need anything I'll let you know. Thank you."

"Okay, just don't hesitate." With that Patricia left, Stefani following her shortly after.

Moving slowly through the house, Stefani couldn't help but smile at the sound of Sophia's eager voice. In the dining room, the little girl was sitting with a few members of the new group they'd found. She was picking at the breakfast in front of her, too excited about telling the strangers about their group instead of taking in the nourishment.

"Sophie, why don't you let them eat in peace?" Stefani laughed as she sat down next to the little girl. Patricia put a plate in front of her with a soft smile. "Thank you, this is more than we expected."

"It's our pleasure. From what this young lady's been telling us, it seems there are quite a few people missing you." Hershel smiled at Sophia's sheepish expression.

"Yeah, there's probably a few." Stefani smiled down at the girl. "You said your man Otis could drive us back to the highway?"

"Of course. He's out hunting, but as soon as he gets back he'll take you."

"Daryl hunts," Sophia smiled. "That's Stefani's boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend sweetie and I'm sure these nice people don't need to hear everything."

"Why don't you come with me, Sophia? We'll get that arm checked out one last time." Hershel smiled as he got up from the table and lead the girl back to the room.

"Sounds like a good group to have." Hershel's oldest daughter finally spoke up.

"We're family and that's nice. It's nowhere near as glamorous as this, but we make due."

"You're boyfriend, that man she was talking about," Patricia hesitated. Stefani could tell what was on her mind, but she didn't want to have that conversation.

"He's probably out looking for us, all of them. I can't imagine how scared they are." She sighed. "I just hope nothing happened to them."

"If you want to head back sooner, I can take you." Maggie volunteered. "Family's important and you should get back to them as soon as possible."

Stefani nodded, finishing off the last of her food. She locked eyes with Patricia before taking hers and Sophia's plates into the kitchen. Maggie followed her, quietly trying to approach the woman. Stefani knew what it was like, seeing new people for the first time. It must have been a welcome change to talk to someone other than family for the first time in months.

"Do you mind waiting a little while before we head back, I need to talk to Sophia first."

"Sure, Patricia said we can put together a few things for you to take back with you." The two smiled at each other before Stefani moved to the room where Hershel was finishing up with Sophia.

Sophia watched as Stefani moved into the bathroom and turned the facet on. She ran some water over her face and neck. Waiting until Hershel left, she moved back into the room and took a seat next to the girl. She ran her hand through her hair for a moment, coming up with how she wanted to broach the topic of Carol.

"Sweetie, when we get back…" She sighed. "When those walkers were chasing you from the highway, Rick wasn't the only one that went after you. You're mom and I followed. Before I found you, I was with her, but we got separated. I hope to God that they found her, but she might not be there when we get back."

Tears were welling in the little girl's eyes the whole time Stefani spoke, but her sobs weren't heard until after the words finally sank in. She might not have a Mom to get back to. Stefani wrapped her arms around the girl and held her as she cried. The tears that slipped from her eyes as Sophia sobbed for her mother broke Stefani's heart.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Shane wondered how much longer he could wait before he'd have to leave on his own. He knew Stefani was a fighter and a few walkers couldn't take her down, but that was on a good day. The last few she'd had were tough to say the least and all he wanted to do was take her way from the pain that was getting to her. He wasn't sure if it was whatever she had with Dixon or if it was seeing Rick again, but she was broken.

As he sat outside the church with Carl, he couldn't stop his mind from wondering if she would appear through the trees. Maybe she did hear the bells or just got turned around again and wasn't sure where the highway was. He couldn't bring himself to believe that she wasn't able to make it through the night on her own. She'd always been stronger than that.

"Are you worried about Steph?" Carl finally asked.

"No man, you know her as well as I do. She's strong."

"I hope she's with Sophia and Carol. She'll protect them."

"Yeah, they'll be alright."

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Sophia was asleep on the bed once again. Stefani didn't have the heart to wake her and had decided to just wait until Otis came back to head for the highway. She needed time to process what had happened. The girl was grieving and the last thing she needed was to go back to a camp that would remind her that her mother was missing.

Heading back to the kitchen, Stefani took a glass of water offered from Patricia. The woman seemed to be able to anticipate everything she needed. With a heavy sigh she took a sip before placing a hand on her quivering stomach.

"Does it get easier?" She asked quietly.

"I wish I knew sweetheart. You can't be that far along, maybe a month or so." Patricia said coming to stand closer to her. "Do you know for sure?"

"No, I don't even know if I want to. This can't be happening, not now in this world." Stefani put down the glass and took in a deep breath. Her hands went to rub her face.

"Your boyfriend," Patricia started and Stefani let out a groan.

Their conversation was cut short as they heard Maggie call for Hershel from the porch. The two women headed towards the front of the house. Stefani moved to Sophia's room, taking the still half asleep child into her arms and moved towards the door. She was shocked to see what had caused the commotion. Sophia slipped from her arms as they stared at Rick running across the yard with a bloody Carl held tightly against him.

They barely locked eyes before Hershel was ushering him into the house and leading him into the room the girls had occupied the night before. Sophia was sobbing again, gripping Stefani's arm as they watched from the doorway. The older pulled away, moving into the room in order to grab Rick. She gave a nod to Hershel before ushering her friend out of the room. Sophia trailed behind them sniffling. They walked out the front door and relief flooded her as she saw Shane walking up. She took Sophia into her arms as Shane tried to talk to his friend.

"I'm glad you're okay." Shane said as he took the side of Stefani's face into his hand. "How long have you been here?"

"Last night, Otis found us running from walkers. They took us in." She glanced down at Sophia. "Did you find Carol?"

He shook his head in answer, before rubbing a hand through Sophia's hair. He gave her a said smile before moving back to Rick. They went back into the house, waiting to hear something from Hershel. Stefani stayed with Sophia as the men went back into the room. She was grateful for Maggie closing the door again so the little boys cried couldn't be heard. Sophia clung to Stefani as her sobs echoed her friend's.

Stefani tried to calm the little girl down as she ran her fingers through her hair. Otis and Maggie were sitting with her in the living room. They were watching her carefully as the girl cried.

"My brother, Shane, I'm sorry about him Otis. He's just looking out for his own. That little boy is like our nephew." She sighed. "Hershel will fix him up." She told Sophia tightening her hold.

The men left the room some time later. She listened as Shane tried to stop Rick from leaving. Everything seemed to be happening on top of each other. All they needed was some time to regroup. As Hershel rattled off a list of supplies they needed, Shane stepped up as he always seemed to do. He was going to help his friend and the little boy.

"You're some kind of hero, you know that." Stefani said as she hugged him tightly. "Just be careful alright. I still need a big brother."

"I'll be back. You look after Rick while I'm gone."

"I was going to find Lori with Maggie. She needs to be here." She said pulling away. "The others are still on the highway."

"Yeah, but I don't think you should go."

"Why, they need to know that Sophie and I are safe and Lori needs to be with Carl. We can't stay scattered like this, Shane."

"Rick needs you here. You can keep him calm. That little girl is just as scared of losing her best friend. I need you to stay put." He leaned in to kiss her temple. "That woman can find them. Please stay here."

"Okay, I'll stay. At least until Lori gets here."

"I know you don't want to hear this, but he's fine." Shane said, knowing why she was so eager to get back. "He helped Rick look for the girl but he didn't run after you, Stefani. He'll I don't even think it registered to him that you needed finding."

She stepped out of his reach, her face cold. His eyes were low, and she could tell that it had hurt him to say that to her. She rubbed at her eyes, controlling her emotions. "I'll stay with Rick, just come back alive."

As she moved away and watched him get into the truck, she felt Rick's hand on the small of her back. She hated how reassuring it felt. A small part of her wanted to melt into him and let everything go, but this time it was her turn to be strong. She reached down and took a hold of his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I hate to say this, but I think he's right. Shane's right about this one." Rick said leaning against her slightly to stay upright. "I don't think he's feelings are anywhere close to yours."

"I don't care." She sighed feeling his hand tighten around hers. "It's harder to break his heart that way. I never said I was sorry for what I did to yours."

Her head turned and a sad smile graced her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks. Rick leaned down and rested his forehead against her, closing his eyes and just enjoying being this close to her again. Stefani felt the hand that wasn't intertwined with his reach up and rake through his hair. She hated how much she wished any other guy could make her feel this way.

"You don't need to apologize." He sighed, his breath hitting her lips. Before the moment could go any further Hershel's voice broke through.

"Rick lets go check on your boy."


	14. Chapter 14

Alright everyone, I know that a few of you were concerned with the way the last chapter played out but I think after this one all will be right again. Stefani has a history with Rick that was way before the world went to shit, and I think that it's one of those things that someone would hold onto when everything around them is falling apart. Please keep reading and don't let that aspect of her character turn you away. Remember this is a Daryl/OC story!

* * *

Daryl tried to fall asleep. He was lying across the floor of the RV, forcing himself to close his eyes. Every time he did though, her face would show up. At first it was her dark eyes and messy curls as she smiled up at him with a flushed face after sex, those were the moments he wanted back. It didn't stay that way though, too quickly did her dark eyes go milky and she skin pale and decomposing. She was out there for another night on her own and he couldn't bear to think of finding her in anything but perfect condition.

He sat up frustrated, angry at himself for caring as much as he did. Stefani was the first woman that he cared about. No matter what Shane or anyone else in the group had to say, he was falling hard for her. Getting up, he grabbed his crossbow and turned to Andrea. It wasn't long before the two were walking up the side of the highway. Andrea occasionally looked his way, something obviously on her mind.

"Do you really think we'll find them? All of them, I mean." He shined the flashlight in her face, scoffing at what he saw.

"You got that same look on your face same as everybody else. What the hell's wrong with you people we just started looking. This ain't the mountains of Tibet, it's Georgia. They could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost, they survive, it happens all the time."

"Sophia's only twelve, what if she didn't find the others?"

"Hell I was younger than her and I got lost. Nine days in the woods eating berries, and wiping my ass with poison oak."

"They found you?" Andrea asked carefully not sure what to think just yet. She was still in shock that Daryl Dixon was sharing something so personal with someone.

"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was going another stint in juvie. They didn't even know I was gone. Made my way back though, went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear, except my ass itched something awful."

Andrea couldn't hold onto the laughter that bubbled over. She apologized as she bit back a smile, surprised when a small laugh escaped his mouth as well. For a moment she understood. There was a completely different side to Daryl than what everyone else saw. He wasn't only an explosive redneck. She wondered if Stefani had heard this story, or any other story that had changed her perspective.

"Are we looking for Sophia or Stefani?" Andrea asked as she kept her eyes on the ground. She wasn't sure of the reaction she'd get from him with the sudden subject change.

"Does it matter, hell finding any of them right now would be an advantage." He sighed. "Who knows they might be together."

"Would you have gone after her?" She glanced at him quickly as she waited for a response, surprised by his hesitation.

"I've never been around when bad things happened to her. At first I didn't think much of it, probably didn't care all that much. But that night the walkers attacked camp and I thought she'd been bit, I've never been that scared of losing someone that wasn't blood. Told myself I wouldn't leave her side again." He stopped for a moment, turning to look at Andrea briefly. "What's it matter to you anyway?"

"She's my friend too. I want to make sure that the guy she's decided to be with is worth it."

"You and everyone else." He said quietly.

"For what it's worth, I think she made a good decision." She smiled at him as he nodded in appreciation.

He wanted to ask her how he was supposed to tell Stefani that. She was the one that was pushing him away now. It was a strange feeling to try to hold onto something that he wasn't even sure was his to begin with. Stefani was the first and definitely only woman that he would ever allow to drag him along like this. In spite of Shane and everyone else who thought he wasn't good enough for the group's princess, he wanted to stay with her. If it was up to him, he probably would've stayed just for the hell of it. Now it was Stefani that didn't want anything to do with him and he hated feeling like it had something to do with the new sheriff.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Maggie stepped out of the house, moving along the side of the porch. With all the commotion going on in the house, it was nice to get a moment alone. She was surprised to see Stefani leaning against the porch railing, through the moonlight she could see tear streaks running down her cheeks. Tentatively, she took a step closer to stand beside the other woman. For a second she thought about leaving, but the look on Stefani's face made her rethink that idea. Instead she moved closer and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Is everything alright?" She asked softly.

Stefani reached up to wipe at her eyes before giving her a small smile. "Not really, haven't been for a while."

"Are you worried about your brother?"

"Yeah, him and everyone else, we've had a tough few weeks." She turned and leaned back against the railing. "You're lucky, having a place like this somewhere safe, away from all the death out there."

"We haven't been completely untouched. We've lost people too." Maggie sighed as she took a seat in the chair against the house. "Can I ask you about the bruises?"

"Which ones?" Stefani tried to laugh. It had occurred to her that with a shower and fresh pair of clothes, the beating her body had taken was much more obvious. "Like I said, a tough few weeks."

"Those seem pretty fresh."

"There's this guy I've been sleeping with. He's not exactly prince charming, but he's got this soft side that only I seem to get out of him most days. We were at the CDC a few days ago, drinking and feeling safe for the first time since the world went to shit. My brother's always been kind of an asshole, but lately something's just pushed his buttons wrong. He brought up a past relationship and it flipped a switch. Daryl, my guy, kind of lost it. It was an accident, I'm sure of it."

"Do you love him, this Daryl?" Maggie asked as she watched the tears fill Stefani's eyes again.

"I don't know. I want to, but it doesn't feel the same as before."

"Nothing is the same as before."

Their conversation was cut short as Stefani heard a car pull up the drive. She slowly moved towards the porch steps as she saw the familiar station wagon coming towards the house. For a moment her heart stopped as she waited to see who was going to exit. She felt awful that her heart sank as she saw the two men walking closer to the house. With tentative steps, she moved down the stairs and waited until they were close enough to wrap her arms first around Glen then T-Dog.

"How long have you been here? Did Rick and Shane find you? Where's Sophia, Carol?" Glenn started with the questions as she moved out of T-Dog's slack grip.

"I'll explain everything, but first I wanna know how the hell that happened?" She asked looking down at T-Dog's arm.

"Cut myself when that herd passed by us. You're boy, Dixon saved my ass."

"Sophia's inside sleeping. She's had a tough day. I told her that I lost Carol and with Carl hurt, she's been crying all afternoon." Stefani sighed as she looked at the men. "Where are the others?"

"Stayed behind, wanted to see if you girls would make it back. We'll head back tomorrow to get them."

"Did you close the gate on your way in?" Maggie finally asked as she joined the group.

"Uh, yeah we closed it and did the latch. It's nice to see you again. We met before briefly." Glenn stammered causing Maggie to smile.

"We need to get someone to look at this cut on T's arm." Stefani said as she moved towards the door.

"I'll make you something to eat," Maggie said as she led the way inside.

Stefani paused as she saw Sophia stir on the couch. Still in a half sleep daze, the little girl sat up and glanced over the group. Tears filled her eyes once again as she noticed that there were only two new faces. Stefani stepped towards her and wrapped her arms about her. The group stepped into the room with Carl as Glenn and T-Dog made sure Rick and Lori knew that they were there to help.

Again Maggie led the men out as Stefani and Sophia sat together by the window. The older of the two rocked gently back and forth trying to calm the little girl. It was a strange role for her to take on: mother. She never thought she'd have the chance in the world they were living in today. Strangely enough she found it comforting too, running her fingers through the girl's hair. For a second she caught Rick's gaze and her stomach seemed to drop.

"When are Dale, Andrea, and Daryl coming?" The little girl asked quietly. "Are they safe?"

"Yeah sweetie, they're fine. We'll see them tomorrow." Stefani leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Why don't we go check on the others?"

It was a relief to be out of the room. As much as Stefani wanted to stay and be with Carl, but she felt awful sitting there with a grieving Lori and Rick. It just didn't seem right for her to be there. She never had anything against Lori, even when to pair originally met. Most of the time they two got along great, but in the later years, the ones when their marriage became rocky, Stefani felt like the other woman. Rick would never cheat he wasn't that kind of guy. He would end up calling her every day, wanting to meet for lunch or just spend a few hours together talking or doing nothing. It was selfish of Stefani to love those few hours she got to have with him alone.

"How are you doing there, Theodore?" Stefani asked with a smirk as she sat down at the table. Sophia had resumed her spot on the couch.

"It hurts, but I'll live. Unfortunately, thanks to Merle's clap."

"What?" She asked trying to hide her laughter.

"Nothing, I'm glad you're alright. We were worried about all of you. Running off like that was stupid." He scolded. "I thought we'd never see you again. You know what that would do to some of the men in this group?"

"I'm sorry." She sighed. "You would've been fine. They would've been fine." Her eyes glossed over with tears as she thought back to what Shane had told her yesterday.

They both looked up when they heard another car pulling up to the house. Again Stefani felt her heart stop. For some unknown reason she moved quickly to the door, hoping it was the man she desperately needed to see. If he was here, she wouldn't have to think about all the other craziness. It suddenly occurred to her how stupid it had been to push him away. He was the only one that was consistently by her side over the past few months. There was really no one else she could depend on like him.

Letting out a sobbing breath, Stefani moved off the porch and headed towards her brother. She was overcome with tears as she felt him hold her against her body. No matter what he had said to her, it was always a relief when he held her tightly. It was only when the others came running out of the house did Shane pull away. He was handing the bags she hadn't even noticed off to Hershel and Glenn as he asked if Carl was still alright. It surprised her to feel the tears that fell from her eyes as she heard that Otis didn't make it.

She kept her arms wrapped around her brother as he explained what happened at the high school. His muscles were tight, still stressed from the experience he had. It was selfish, but she was glad that he'd made it back because she knew that if it meant Carl's life, he'd have sacrificed himself. Rick and Lori stayed outside as Hershel worked on their son. Stefani felt as though she couldn't detach herself from Shane in fear of losing him somehow.

"You do some scary shit, sometimes, you know that?" She whispered as she leaned against his side. He kissed the top of her head, but didn't say a word. "I'm sorry you couldn't save him."

Again all she got was silence, but feeling the way his relaxed body had gone rigid again she suspected that he was still feeling guilty about the run. Stefani glanced up her eyes meeting the same hazel, she knew he wasn't telling her everything. It was late, and had been a long day and she didn't want to push him. Tomorrow she'd ask.

Hershel came out with the news that Carl was going to be okay. Stefani only headed inside to make sure that Sophia had heard the good news. The little girl was already asleep next to him in the large bed, her broken arm laid out next to her carefully. Lori didn't seem to mind having the little girl intrude, and with that, Stefani left.

She was sitting on the porch steps, leaning against the post. Absently she ran a hand over her stomach, trying to calm the fluttering that she knew would end in her hugging the toilet. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of anything that would keep her mind off of it. She was surprised when a pair of cerulean eyes popped into her head. In that moment she knew that she'd go to the highway tomorrow, just to see him again. She was pulled from her thoughts when the door squeaked open. She was expecting T-Dog, maybe even Glenn, but not the man that sat beside her.

"One hell of a day, huh?" Rick said as she carefully sat beside her.

"Yeah, we've had a lot of those lately." Again she hand came to a stop on her stomach. "About what you said earlier, you're wrong."

"Earlier?" She glanced at him for a moment before turning back out to the darkness around them.

"Daryl, he cares about me. Maybe more than he should, but he does. It's not like you or Shane, it's something so much deeper. He's stronger than you. I can't break him as easily." She smiled softly to herself. "You and Shane have always put the greater good above the one. Before that was admirable. In this world, it will get the people you love killed. Daryl is selfish and I love that about him. I know that no matter what, he's going to take care of me, protect me."

"Stefani, are you sure…"

"I'm sure that you're wrong about him. You and Shane have never liked a single man I've been with, but this time I'm not going to let you make that decision for me."

She slowly got up, trying hard not to jostle her stomach contents. Heading inside, she laid on the couch with a satisfied smile on her face. It felt like Christmas Eve, the quicker she fell asleep the sooner tomorrow would come. All she could think about was being wrapped in Daryl's strong arms again, and this time she wouldn't push them away.


	15. Chapter 15

A bit thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. I think this is what everyone has been waiting for...the reunion. Let me know what you think and maybe some suggestions as to what you want to see coming up.

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**Stefani was cleaning dishes in the RV when she heard the door open. She didn't think much of it, people came and went as they pleased, but what caught her attention was the lock being latched. Turning a little she caught sight of Daryl watching her from the doorway. A smile crossed her lips as he headed towards her. His hands found her hips and his lips met her exposed shoulder. He kissed his way across her shoulder then up her neck before switching to the other side. **

**She could feel him smiling against her skin. It had been too long since they had been together like this, and even then the last time wasn't perfect. His hands slipped from her waist as she turned in his arms. This time his hands came up to hold her neck as he leaned in to kiss her. Stefani had almost forgotten how amazing just kissing him was. The way their mouths seemed to mold perfectly together. His tongued swept across lips before entering her mouth. She was all too eager to roll hers in time with his. Again his hands found her waist, this time slipping lower as he cupped her ass and lifted her off the floor. Carefully, he turned them around and placed her on the table. **

"**Daryl, wait." She said breathlessly as he moved down her neck. "We can't do this here."**

"**Why not, we're done it before." He said while moving his hands underneath her tank top. "I've missed you."**

"**Me too, but I don't want to do this here." She smiled sadly at him as her hands came up to caress his face. "You have no idea how much I want this, how much I want you." Her arms came around his neck as she drew him in for a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry for everything I said before. I didn't mean it."**

"**You're the only friend I've got. It's gonna take more than that to get rid of me." He whispered against her ear. She enjoyed the feel of his scruff nuzzling into her side of her neck and jaw. **

"**I'm starting to realize, you may be all I have too." He pulled away and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. **

"**No, you're got plenty of people in your corner."**

"**Maybe, but I only need you. I think I love you."**

**With the heaviness of her confession, Stefani kissed him again, this time her hands moved to the buttons on his shirt, undoing them one by one. He was too focused on pulling her shirt over her head to stop her. Suddenly it was skin on skin, and Stefani fell in love with the sensation. If possible he felt hotter, like his body was radiating more heat than she'd felt before. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders again, as he lifted her off the table. **

**She wasn't sure how he managed it, but as she was placed back down on the table her bare ass met the cold laminate. Arching into the warmth his body provided, Stefani continued her assault on his mouth as her hands ran down his back. She felt his excitement through the thin material of his pants and her heart rate sped up even more as she heard him take down his zipper. He pulled away from her for only a second before his heat was surrounding her once again. **

"**Maybe I love you, too." He said against her lips before entering her with a hard thrust. **

"Mommy," Stefani shot up at the terrified yell. The chair she had fallen asleep in nearly fell over because of her sudden movements. Sophia was crying on the couch not but two feet away. Shaking the dream she had been interrupted from, Stefani stood and headed for the child. She knew there was probably a slight flush to her features and as she took the small girl into her arms, she forced herself to stay awake for fear of repeating the dream.

It was still early morning and Stefani was wrapped in a blanket on the couch with Sophia in her arms. The little girl had woken up every few hours crying out for her mother and the maternal instinct in Stefani kicked in. Comforting the little girl seemed to be the only thing that brought some kind of peace in the chaotic few days. There was a time when Lori had said that nurturing wasn't in Stefani's bones, but it was beginning to be second nature to her.

She was running her hands through Sophia's short blonde locks, when a sound brought her out of her half sleeping state. At first she thought nothing of it, but as it got closer the rumble became more pronounced. Shifting carefully, Stefani slipped out from beside Sophia and headed for the door. In the distance she could see the RV coming up the road, a car, and finally the unmistakable motorcycle leading the way up to the house. It didn't take long for the rest of the group to join her on the porch.

Shane came to her side as the caravan came to a stop. Sophia finally made her way onto the porch, and once she realized that her mother wasn't among them her eyes tear up once again. She moved quickly off the porch and threw herself into Dale's arms. It was surprising how much the man had become a father figure to everyone in the group.

Daryl stood up from his bike and stood there. For a moment Stefani thought she saw relief wash over his features, but it was quickly replaced by his usual stone expression. She wanted to move to him, embrace him, but as she tried to slip out of Shane's grip he only tightened his hold. Maneuvering just enough to look her brother in the eye, she gave him a questioning look. He knew where she wanted to go, but kept his grip on her waist tight.

Silently they warred as the rest of the group talked about Carl's condition and where they could set up their camp. Stefani strained against her brother's hold as he flexed his arms in order to keep her against his body. If anyone noticed, no one let on. The two were glaring at each other, not noticing the group beginning to break apart. Carefully, Shane stepped off the porch and walked with Stefani still at his side as they moved further into the yard to where Otis's memorial would be.

"You need to lighten up. I can make my own decisions, Shane." She whispered harshly at him.

"I'm not letting you waste any more time on a guy like that. Let me look after you."

"You're not looking after me, you're smothering me. Please, let me be an adult for once." They had reached the rest of the group and Stefani was able to push out of his grasp. She didn't move far, instead choosing to stay close once Shane was asked to speak on Otis's behalf.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Later that afternoon, the group was spread out putting together their camp. Stefani was putting up hers and Shane's tent when she caught Daryl's eye as he came across the yard. Maggie and Hershel were going to help them with their search grids. They were going out to try and find Carol. Sophia had holed herself up in the house with Carl trying not to think about her missing mother.

T-Dog and Glenn were moving around much faster than her. They wanted to have a camp set up before the night, in order to have some semblance of normal. After the days they'd spent on the road and the highway, the last thing they wanted was to try and impose themselves more on the Greene's. Stefani finished her tent and looked off to the side where Daryl had already put his up. A part of her wanted to get closer to his, but she knew that Shane could kill her.

Instead, she knew that she needed to talk to him first. She wasn't going to let Shane or even Rick tell her what kind of man Daryl was. He was the kind of man that she wanted, especially in a world like this.

"Hey, Dixon." Stefani called out as she jogged across the back side of the house. She wasn't sure where he was going, but she needed to get him alone. "I need to talk to you."

"About what, I thought we weren't bothering each other anymore?" He said as he came to a stop, but refused to meet her gaze.

"That's what I wanted to talk about" She reached out and tried to turn him towards her. "Daryl please, I made a mistake."

"You told me to go, to let you go. Hell, the whole group has."

"Stay," she nearly whispered as her voice came out hoarse from the tears that were threatening to spill over. "Please, stay. At the CDC when you said you weren't good at this shit, well, I'm not either. I don't know what the hell I'm doing but I know I want you here."

Stefani moved to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and feeling some of the tension leave his body. He was still fighting the urge of giving in to her. In the back of his mind, he could hear his brother saying how he was whipped. No woman ever told a Dixon what to do, but there was something about Stefani that changed everything that he'd been taught all his life.

"I know you want to find your brother, but can't it wait? We need you here to find Carol and protect us. Daryl, I want you to stay with us, with me."

One of his hands came up and brought her lips to his. Her grip around his neck tightened as she gave into the kiss. Her fingers slipped into the air on the back of his neck, making him moan against her lips. She pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. For a moment she searched his clear blue gaze to see if he wanted her as much as she needed him too. If she was going to go all in with him, she needed to know that he was going to be there for her too.

"Promise me you won't let me go without a fight, even if it's fighting me." She whispered against his chest.

"I'm pretty good at fighting." He told her squeezing her close to him. "You're the only person I got left, Stef."

"I could be all you need. You're my best friend, Dixon."

"Mine, too." He smiled slightly as he leaned down to kiss her deeply again.

Daryl loved the way she was so eagerly opened her mouth to him, taking his tongue in smoothly She would suck, circle, and occasionally nip at his lips. Kissing Stefani was one of his favorite things to do now. Before he'd hardly spent any time just kissing girls. If he could, he'd spend hours attached to her lips. She would hold on to him like her life depended on it, raking her fingers delicately across his scalp. She never seemed to care how dirty he was, her hands always seemed to run over him with a want that he'd never had before.

"Be careful out there. I'm not done kissing you yet." Stefani smiled as she brought his forehead against hers. He moved in and planted another heavy kiss against her lips before walking away from her.

A part of him wanted to turn around and get one last good look at her before spending an entire day out in the woods. Instead he kept moving forward, hating that he had a little extra spring in his step. There was something nice about knowing that he was going out and having someone waiting for him when he got back.

"Daryl," Rick called out when he finally saw the man come around the house. He was going to talk to him sooner, but he saw that Stefani had beaten him to it. "Are you okay on your own?"

"Better on my own." Daryl said as he continued to move, the last thing he needed was someone to ruin his good mood. "Don't worry I'll be back before dark."

"Hey," Rick called with a little more force, stopping the other man. "We got a base. We can get his search properly organized now."

"You got a point, or are we just chatting?"

"My point is it lets you off the hook. You don't owe us anything." Rick said softly, waiting for his reaction.

"My other plans fell through." Daryl said as he turned around and continued across the yard.

Rick turned around to wait for Hershel again. He was surprised when he was met with Stefani's glaring dark eyes. She moved towards him, but instead of stopping to fight she moved passed him without so much as a second glance. Rick had never seen her so angry, but she had to know that he was just looking out for her.

"Stefani, wait." He called out, but the younger women just ignored him and continued towards the rest of the group.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Stefani stood back as everyone was inspecting the well. She had seen the walker and chosen not to stand too closely. Her stomach was already fluttering again. Choosing to stand as far back as possible, she took hold of the end of the rope as they were beginning to lower Glenn down. In all honesty she was even really paying much attention to what they were doing. Her mind was on another man entirely. A small smile crossed her lips before she bit down on it.

It all seemed to happen quickly, but one second she was helping them ease the rope down and the next she was straining to keep any sort of hold on it. Diving down, she was on the ground with the others using all of her strength to pull Glenn back up. She wanted to cry out at the heat that was ripping through her palms as the rope slipped through her grasp. She could hear Glenn yelling up at them, and she was desperate to have her friend back up with them.

They rushed to pull him up once his arms were within reach. She sat down beside him, panting at the exertion. She watched as Dale stood above them with heavy shoulders.

"Back to the drawing board." He said, but she caught the slight smile that crossed Glenn's lips.

"Says you," everyone moved to peer down the well and see that he had roped the walker inside.

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" She laughed and lightly punched him on the arm.

"Come on yall, let's get this thing out of here." Shane said as everyone once again picked up a part of the rope.

She stood behind Shane, helping pull as best she could. The smell was still able to hit her as the corpse was brought further and further up the well. T-Dog was standing there, telling them how much further. She heaved the second the bloated corpse crested over the side of the well. The group continued to pull, hoping that it would continue the rest of the way. The body was too degraded, and with their strength it gave out and split just below where the rope was tied. This time Stefani didn't just gag, she had to run off to the side and rid her stomach of the small breakfast she'd had that morning.

Leaving the others to take care of the mess, Stefani headed back to the house. With tears in her eyes she moved into the kitchen and let out a sob when she saw Patricia staring at her. The two women took a moment to regard each other, before Stefani moved further into the room.

"I need to know. I need to know if I just don't have the stomach for this world or if there's something wrong with me. Please, help me." Stefani sobbed as she let the blonde woman wrap her arms around her and draw her up the stairs.

It has only taken a few minutes before Stefani was somberly heading down the stairs again. Patricia was behind her with a reassuring hand on her back. As they got further down the stairs, a familiar voice was filling the room. Stefani felt her lips tug into a smile as she stopped just out of sight.

"You brought me a flower?" Sophia almost laughed as she looked at the bottle Daryl had set down on the table in front of them.

"It's a Cherokee Rose." He said as he took a seat next to her on the couch. "The story is that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the trial of tears, the Cherokee mother were grieving and crying so much cause they were losing their little ones along the way from expose and disease, starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the elders said a prayer, asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirits. Give them strength, hope. The next day this rose started grow right where the mothers' tears fell."

Sophia reached out and ran her fingers over the soft petals as little tears ran down her face.

"I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers blooming for my brother, but I think this one bloomed for your mama. I'm gonna find her for you."

"Thank you, Daryl. No one's ever brought me flowers before." She smiled up at him. On pure instinct he reached out and carefully wrapped an arm around her back, running what he hoped was a smoothly hand along her spine. "We're both alone now." She said softly.

"You ain't alone. All of these people are here for you, and if you can't find any of them then you got me."

Stefani took one final step off the stairs to look into the living room. She felt her heart stop as she watched Sophia bury her face in his chest as sobs racked her small body. Daryl held onto her as he continued to stoke her back. He caught Stefani's gaze and gave her a small smile. She returned it with teary eyes and a soft smile of her own.


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay everyone, here's another chapter. I hope I'm not losing a lot of you...the reviews seem to be dwindling. But for those loyal few I thank you! I hope everyone enjoys!**

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"Honey, you've got to let me tell Herschel. He'll be able to know better than me." Patricia whispered to Stefani as the two stood on the porch.

"What you told me yesterday, is there any part of you that's not sure?"

"No, but…"

"That's all I need to know." Stefani sighed as they looked out across the yard.

"Are you going to tell him?" Patricia asked, surprised that the woman hadn't spoken up last night.

"Soon, but I need some time to digest it myself. I should go, it's laundry day and I would hate for Lori to end up doing it all on her own."

She moved off the porch and headed over to the baskets. She was surprised that no one had started yet. Sophia was still inside, telling Carl the story that Daryl had told her the night before. Stefani was still amazed that had taken place. She turned to Dale and looked around the camp one more time.

"What the hell's going on?" She asked as she watched him pull out some of the weapons.

"We're all going out looking for Carol. Rick's splitting everyone up into grids today." Dale told her as she started pulling out the clothes.

"Great, I guess that leaves me to laundry by myself then. Lori still sleeping?" He gave her a shrug before moving over to the vehicles. She pulled out a torn shirt and a smile cracked across her lips.

"What the hell is that smile for?" A laugh escaped her mouth as the owner of the shirt's voice hit her ears.

"I'm just trying to figure out why this isn't able to stand on its own with how filthy it is." She turned and smiled up at Daryl as he was started buttoning up his shirt. "Thank you for what you did last night. You made her day. Sophia's in there right now telling Carl all about it. I think she may have a little crush."

"She's got some competition then," he said leaning down and giving her a chaste kiss. "You alright?"

She sighed as she pushed away from him. Her hand fisted his shirt lightly as she watched the others begin to come out of their tents and head over to the hood of the station wagon. "You know how much I hate that question? I'm fine, just a little tired and maybe a little worried. You be careful out there."

"I'm always careful, don't worry about me." He told her, staring down into her dark eyes. He couldn't stop his hands from reaching up and cupping the side of her neck. She smiled against his lips as he kissed her a few times before pulling away.

"I was thinking about tonight. Maybe we could spend some time together. If I remember correctly, you owe a mind-blowing orgasm." She whispered against his ear before taking his lobe between her teeth. His hands dug into the soft flesh of her hips.

"Dixon, let's go man." Shane's voice called out with a little more bite than necessary.

Stefani wanted to tell him to fuck off, but she knew that Daryl had to go. If anyone was going to find Carol it would be him. A tiny part of her wanted to go with him, show him the last place she thought she saw the older woman, but she couldn't bring herself to relive that. She didn't want what she saw to be real.

"You and Daryl seem to be getting along." Lori smiled as the younger woman moved back over to the clothes line.

"Getting along was never our problem." She took a few of the clothes and started to hang them up on the opposite end from Lori. "I know that there have been times when we haven't really gotten along. It could be because of Rick or something else, but I don't really give a shit anymore. I need to ask you a favor and I know that I've never done anything that you've asked, but this is important. Tell Rick to back off. You need to put whatever you and Shane had behind you and be there for your husband because I can't anymore."

Lori stood there for a few minutes, stunned by what the younger Walsh had just said to her. "We've never really talked about you and Rick. I always just assumed it was some high school fling between two teenagers, but it was something more than that wasn't it?"

"I loved him, but that was a long time ago. He married you, and I moved on. Please help me with this Lori, he's your husband."

"I'll see what I can do." She said hanging the last shirt in her hands before moving towards the house to check on her son.

Stefani let out a shaky breath as she turned back to the basket by her side. She hated talking to Lori about Rick, it was one of the subjects she always avoided. This time though it was necessary. If she wanted to move on at all, then she would need the woman's help. Stefani needed to get Rick out of her head, leaving space for only Daryl. Even Shane was on her bad side. She hated the way her brother treated her like a child, and was ready to stand up to him.

Sophia was sitting on Carl's bed as the two were playing chess. They were laughing about something that only the two young children would find funny. Stefani stood in the doorway and smiled at them. She could hear Patricia, Beth and Lori in the kitchen, which is probably where she should have been but she couldn't bring herself to be in the same room as Rick's wife.

"Hey, what are you two giggling about?" Stefani made her presence known as she lay across the bed.

"Carl was telling me a story about you brother and his dad." Sophia said as she was trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah, those two have a lot of funny stories." Stefani sighed as she squeezed Carl's hand. The three looked up as they heard a soft knock at the door. Glenn stood there, motioning for Stefani to come meet him. "You two have fun, and don't pull a stich from laughing." Stefani warned with a smile as she kissed the top of both of their heads.

"I wanted to give you something." Glenn said as he moved back out to the porch, Stefani following behind him. She let out a strangled laugh as she saw the box of condoms.

"Why do you have those?"

"When me and Maggie went into town…"

"Oh god, you didn't." She laughed again. "Way to go, Glenn."

"Thanks, but now she wants nothing to do with me so I figured you and Daryl could have them." She bit the side of her lip refusing to reach out for the box.

"I think you should keep them, she'll come around. You're a nice guy." She smiled reassuringly at him.

"Again, thanks, but I think you would have more use for them."

"A little late for that." She said under her breath as she put her hands in her back pockets.

"Oh man, not you too." Glenn said with shock written all over his face. Before Stefani could question him further, they both shot around at the sound of a gun going off.

Glenn took off as soon as he saw the commotion down by the RV. Stefani waited for Sophia before the rest of the occupants in the house raced across the yard. They waited near the gate and Stefani felt her heart drop into her stomach as she saw who they were carrying back. She let a low curse slip through her mouth as she doubled over. Sophia tried to help her stay upright, but the little girl was too weak to hold up the grown woman. Trying to hold in her sobs, Stefani followed behind the men as they brought Daryl through the crowd and up to the house.

Lori watched Stefani from the floor of the hallway. She was leaning against the wall her eyes upward. Lori wasn't sure if she was praying or if she was just trying to stop the steady stream of tears that had been flowing down her cheeks. Stefani was holding her stomach breathing heavily. Lori couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. She'd never seen her so upset.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Lori finally said with a small smile.

Stefani looked down at her with red, puffy eyes. "Yeah, I do. Apparently I'm doomed to fall for guys that have death wishes."

"Did you leave Rick because he joined the academy?" Lori wondered out loud.

"That was one of the reasons. You don't have to worry about me, Lori. I don't want him anymore. Haven't for a long time." She regretted the lie the second it slipped through her lips. Thankfully, at that moment the men came out of the room. She peered around the corner, waiting for Hershel to give her the okay to come in.

"Stefani, why don't you go and help with dinner." Shane said, reaching out for his sister. "Come on."

She gave him a deep glare, setting her jaw. "No, Shane. I'm gonna stay here."

"There's nothing you can do, Stefani." She pulled out of his grasp and moved to the other side of the hallway.

"Stop telling me what to do, Shane. I'm not twelve anymore." She said through choked sobs. She nearly jumped as Hershel came out of the room and left the door open slightly.

"He's resting." He told them as he moved away from the group. Stefani walked over to the door, shooting another glare at Shane before he could give her another demand.

"I'm gonna say this one more time." She started as she locked eyes with Shane and then Rick. "You two have no say in what I do with my life, not anymore. Want to know why I like being with Daryl? He doesn't treat me like a child. I'm not little Fani that follows you two around with skinned knees and pigtails anymore. Daryl doesn't want to protect me, because he knows that I can take care of myself. He's not locking me up and making sure I'm safe every second. When I need him I know he'll be there, but he won't step in unless it's absolutely necessary."

With that said, she moved into the room and closed the door behind her. She glanced at Daryl laid out on the bed as she slowly lowered herself into the chair by the bedside. Her breathing was slowly beginning to return to normal, but she could still feel her heart racing. She wasn't sure if it was from the argument she'd just had with Shane or if it was from the worry over the man in front of her.

"Pigtails, huh?" His gruff voice asked. Stefani let out a disgusting, snotty laugh as she tried to rid her eyes of tears.

"Shut up, you were supposed to be sleeping." She said, scooting the chair closer to the bed.

"I'm fine, you don't have to stay here. Probably just going to sleep for the rest of the night."

She didn't miss the fact that he pulled the sheet up over his body. She'd already seen some of the scars that littered his chest, now that his shirt was completely off more would be visible. Taking in a shaky breath, Stefani stood and moved over to the other side of the bed. He flinched slightly as she sat, watching with curious eyes as reached down and pulled her t-shirt over her head. She smiled down at him as her hands went behind her back to undo her bra clasp.

"I wanna show you something." She whispered and moved closer to him.

Her heart broke slightly as she saw him flinch away from her. Slower, she laid down beside him letting part of her body rest on his good side. It was the first time she had felt his skin on hers without creating any kind of rough friction. There was something soothing about slightly rising and falling with his deep breaths. She reached up and ran her fingers gently through the hair that fell into his face.

"Are you gonna show me something I ain't seen before?" He asked causing her to shudder from the rumble it caused in her body.

"I'm showing you that I don't care. That I never cared." She leaned down and placed a kiss on the angry raised skin on the top of his chest. "Is this why you never took your shirt off in front of me?"

"Didn't want it to turn you way." He told her, keeping his eyes glued to the ceiling.

"It wouldn't have." She leaned in closer to him, pulling his face to hers. "You're too damn sexy for these stupid scars to scare me off."

"My daddy…" he stated slowly, pulling away from her slightly. "He was a mean son of a bitch, a drinker. They're not all him though, some were accidents."

"You don't seem to be the accident prone type." She smiled, kissing his jaw. "You scared the hell out of me today. For a minute there, I thought I lost you." His arm came around and pressed her into his side tightly. His fingers ran up and down the exposed skin of her back, loving how soft it felt under his rough fingers.

They held each other for what felt like hours. Daryl wasn't sure what had changed, before he was going to come back and tell her it was over. The voice in the back of his head, the one that sounded too much like Merle's, told him that she was a distraction, someone else to take care of that wasn't his responsibility. He hated that he had wanted to get back to her, needed to get back to her. That feeling of needing someone so much was overwhelming and he didn't like it. That changed when she was defending him, standing up for him in front of her brother and Rick.

"Hey, what you said earlier to the others, it ain't true?" He said, glancing at her for the first time since the sun went down. "I do want to protect you, keep you safe. That's what makes this hard."

"It's not supposed to be easy. Fun maybe, but if it's easy then there must be something wrong." Again her fingers swept across his hair.

Stefani shifted slightly, moving so that she could shift down his body. She smiled up at him before dropping her lips to every scar that riddled his chest. As her lips moved across his skin, she couldn't help the smile that broke out as he shuddered under her gentle touch. Her hands ran back up his torso before taking his neck. She smiled up at him again as she lay across him, avoiding the bandages on his side.

"We need to get you cleaned up." Her lips came down to kiss him.

"It's gonna take all year if you're gonna do it that way." He said against her lips.

"Why don't you go take a shower and I'll run down to fix you something to eat. I'm sure you're starving."

"You could stay here and help me out. I'm injured." Stefani couldn't help the little laugh that escaped her lips.

"I don't think you're supposed to be getting too excited either. It's safer for both of us if you clean yourself up and I'll make you dinner." She reached for her clothes, quickly putting them back on and turning to kiss the corner of his mouth. "But later I promise I'll make it up to you."

Stefani left the room heading into the kitchen where Beth and Patricia were putting away the dishes. She shared a soft smile with the older blonde before moving to the counter. Thankfully the group had saved two plates for them. It was painfully obvious which one was meant for her, Patricia must have made them up making sure she had as much protein and vitamins as she could.

"Thank you for these." Stefani said with a smile. "If you don't mind, I was planning on staying with him tonight. He'll only hurt himself more if someone's not there to watch him."

"Of course, Honey. You're brother wanted to talk to you, but I think it can wait." Patricia told her while she watched Stefani balance the two plates in her hands.

By the time she got back into the room, she could still hear the water running across the hall. She set his plate down on the bedside table and curled up in the chair once again. Picking at the contents on her plate, she hated knowing that whatever she ate tonight would make a reappearance in the morning. If her hunger pains weren't driving her crazy she wouldn't have finished her dinner before Daryl even made it back into the room. Instead they sat apart and Stefani avoided watching him as he ate what she'd brought him.

"What's wrong with you?" Daryl asked a little harsher than he intended. "You seem upset is all."

"It's been a weird day. I'm just glad you're okay." Her voice was wet with sobs. Daryl motioned for her to join him on the bed, and she slowly made her way over to him. "I can't lose you, anyone else maybe, but it'd kill me to lose you."

Instead of making good on her promise, Stefani curled into his side. Daryl held her as tightly as he could enjoying the warmth that seeped from her body. He was never a cuddler, even with her in the beginning. It was all about the pleasure in the moment and then it was over. There was something about seeing tears in her eyes for him that brought out the need to comfort her. Reaching up, Stefani ran her thumb along the underside of his jaw. She was quickly falling asleep, partially due to the soft bed beneath them but more so from the warm embrace and steady heartbeat of the man next to her.


	17. Chapter 17

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! I am having so much fun writing this story and I know that there is still a lot that needs to be hashed out. I hope everyone bares with me as I try to decide exactly where I want to finish taking my version of season 2. Suggestions are welcome... I would like to say that this chapter gave me some trouble, but instead of keeping it locked away on my computer I decided that it was time to let everyone else see it. I hope all of you enjoy!

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Stefani stood in the bathroom the next morning, her shirt pulled up under her breasts. She'd always had some meat on her bones since she was a teenager. Sometimes it'd been more muscle than anything else, but lately she'd noticed how quickly starving would thin a person out. Bitterly, she thought that it was the perfect diet. But even with her thin limbs, she hated that it made the tiny bump on her stomach all the more obvious. Calculating, she knew that it must be close to ten weeks now. Ten weeks from the first time.

She jumped as she heard the doorknob turn and a small smiling face poke through the crack. Sophia slipped in the room and leaned against the door. Stefani pulled her into a hug as she turned back to the mirror.

"You're like a little sister to me, you know that." Stefani said as she smiled at the little girl. "I wanna tell you something that only one other person knows. I have to tell someone or I'm going to go crazy."

She lifted the hem of her shirt again, stopping just above the small bump. Sophia continued to stare into Stefani's eyes, not sure what she was looking at. With a tiny laugh, the older reached out taking Sophia's hand and bringing it down to her belly. On contact the girl's eyes widened and she stared up with a huge smile on her face.

"You're gonna have a baby?" She smiled and placed both small hands on her stomach. "Is Daryl the daddy?"

"Yes, I'm planning on telling him later. Promise me you're gonna keep this our little secret." The blonde shook her head widely.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" She asked as she rubbed her hands over the protruding skin as if trying to find a clue.

"I won't know until it's born. But I hope it's a cute little girl like you." Stefani smiled as she kissed the top of the girl's head. "Come on sweetie, we should go before the cavalry comes looking for us."

Stefani straightened her shirt and moved to the door, taking Sophia's hand and leading her along the hallway. She stopped by the room she'd left Daryl in that morning, frowning when she noticed that the bed was empty. Dropping Sophia's hand, she walked into the room to make sure that Daryl wasn't anywhere in the house.

Sophia tried not to laugh as she followed the woman out of the house, almost running in order to keep up with her angry stomps. Watching Stefani through a tantrum was always fun and Sophia was thankful that Carl was finally feeling well enough to leave the house. The little girl moved off to the side to meet up with her friend as he came back with his mother. She took his hand and nodded in the direction of Stefani.

"Woah, who got on your bad side, princess?" Shane asked as he stepped in front of his little sister.

"No one, I just needed to get out of the house." She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and hating how that had become more difficult within that last few days. "You're taking everyone out for target practice today?"

"Yeah, you should come. I think everyone needs a refresher course."

"It's a waste of ammo. I still know how to handle a gun." For a moment her eyes landed on the tent off to the side. She knew he was in there and suddenly her anger fueled up again. "Listen, I've got some things to take care of, Shane."

"Stef, he's a grown man." Shane groaned as he ignored his sister's words.

"I don't want to do this right now. You need to get it through your thick head that I care about someone other than you. No matter what you say to me, I'm not going to let him go. I don't even understand why you hate him so much."

Shane moved forward and took her in his arms. Instinctively, Stefani let her arms wrap around him tightly. For a moment she was self-conscious that he could feel the small bump between them. He kissed the top of her head, his hand gently twisting around her hair like he used to do before the world ended. It had always made her feel safe when he held her like this.

"I don't hate him," he sighed. "I hate sharing you with someone I don't completely trust. Give me some time, you know how stubborn I can be."

"He's good to me, Shane. I need him." She pulled back from him enough to smile sadly, running and finger over his ear still used to there being unruly curls there.

"You don't ever need a man around when you've got me." He told her before letting her out of the embrace.

As she stood there watching her brother walk away, Stefani realized that what he'd said almost made everything else okay. Maybe he was just looking out for her, they were so used to being just the two of them that old habits seemed to die hard. There's nothing she could have wanted more than for Shane to finally except Daryl as a part of her life. Bitterly she knew that carrying around his child wasn't going to help any. The second Shane, hell even Rick, found out about her baby all hell would break loose. She waved Sophia and Carl off as they went to join Lori. Finally she turned to see Andrea leaving Daryl's tent. The two women stared a silent stare before the blonde moved on and Stefani entered the tent.

"Hey," Daryl smiled as he tried to sit up.

"What the hell are you thinking? There's a nice, safe bed in that house that was for you and now you're out here exposed in this tent." Stefani fumed. "You have to start taking care of yourself, Daryl."

"I'm fine. A few stitches ain't gonna kill me." He sighed, lying back down on his cot with a small huff of annoyance.

"I wanna stay with you." She said as she took a seat next to his legs. Her eyes stayed focused on the tip of her boot, chewing on her thumb nail as she waited for a response. "At least until you're better."

"We can move your stuff in later." He said, his chest against her side as he placed a kiss on her shoulder.

Stefani turned and smiled at him. She had been terrified of asking to move into his tent. She'd been staying with Sophia in the RV since they came to the farm, and she knew that moving back in with Shane wasn't an option anymore. In their new world, it was the closest to commitment as they could get. Even before the world went to shit, Stefani had never wanted to share the same space with one of her boyfriends but there was something different about Daryl that caused her to change all of her previous habits.

She lay down next to him, allowing his arm to curl under her neck. Daryl leaned down and placed a kiss against her temple as his hand ran through her messy hair. Stefani let out a contented sigh as her eyes drifted closed. He smiled against her lips as she reached up to capture his. Her body was pressed against his, careful not to hurt his injured side further. His lips devoured her, his tongue moving against hers with a want that he hadn't felt in weeks. It seemed like it had been years since he'd been with her. Hips grinding against his side, he let out a small laugh at her eagerness. A moan escaped her lips as he moved down her neck, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin below her ear. Her hands fisted in his open shirt as she bit her lip to stay quiet.

"Stop, Daryl. We can't." She sighed, pushing away from him and trying to compose herself. She was a little more than embarrassed as she felt the blood pumping low in her stomach. "You're hurt."

"But you're not." He said as his hand moved down and snapped the button on her shorts open. "I think I still owe you."

If Stefani had been in her right mind, she would have told him to wait. She wanted to enjoy being with him, pleasuring each other. But it was the hormones that were racing through her, that's what she told herself. The hormones were making her crazy, and all she could think about right now was the heat of his body pressed against hers and the tingling sensation his fingers caused as they moved over her hip and slipped underneath the band of her underwear.

She reached out and captured his lips again, her hand running into his hair to keep him as close as possible. A moan was muffled between them as his tongue worked in and out of her at the same rate as his fingers. The building pressure in her abdomen told her that she was close, again embarrassed by the fact that it barely took him touching her in order to get her off. She wasn't going to complain though, at the rate of his ministrations, she was sure it was going to be the best orgasm he'd given her.

A string of 'Oh God's' and unlady-like curses came tumbling out of her mouth as she shuddered against him. This time it was his hand that drew her mouth back to his. Slowly his hand moved away from her, Stefani trying to bring her breathy back to normal. It wasn't until she felt him running his hand up her hip to her stomach, did she flinch away from him. Fixing her clothes, she stood up and smiled down at his confused face.

"You need to rest." She bent down and kissed him fully one last time. "They'll probably be back soon, I'm going to help Dale start lunch."

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Stefani was sitting with Sophia, braiding that little girl's hair as best she could. A little part of her thought that she had to get good at things like this. Being around Sophie had brought out the maternal instinct that she thought died a long time ago, and it was refreshing to know that she didn't suck at it. As she finished the last braid, Glenn came and sat down beside her. Sophia excused herself in order to go show off her new hair before the two started a conversation.

"Please don't try to give me condoms again." Stefani laughed.

"Are you pregnant?" He whispered, eyes glancing towards Daryl's tent for a second.

"I don't want to talk about this, Glenn. It's no one's business."

"I'm going into town to get some things for Lori, if you need anything I can get it for you." Stefani glanced his way, her hair falling in her face.

"There's nothing that I need. I'm fine, but thanks."

With that she got up and headed towards the RV. Dale glanced between her and the younger man before following her into the vehicle. There were times that Stefani wished there were more placed to hide. As she was packing her things up to move to Daryl's tent, she couldn't help but feel smothered as Dale watched her from the kitchen.

"Go ahead if you've got something to say. I've probably heard it all at this point."

"Do you love him, Daryl?" He asked point blank as he moved closer to her.

"Maybe, I'm not sure yet." She sighed as she stopped folding a shirt. "I want to."

"Family is important, all we really have now." Dale began, causing Stefani to stare at him confused.

"Not you too, I thought you of all people would sing a different tune." She clenched her jaw as she continued to stuff her bags, quicker now that she knew where this conversation was headed.

"Shane was going to leave. I know that you two aren't that close these days, and if you truly loved Daryl I wouldn't expect you to leave, but I think it would be in everyone's best interest…"

"Are you kicking us out?" Stefani almost laughed. "You want me and Shane to leave the group?"

"Not you, sweetheart. But something's changed in your brother. I know you've seen it."

"He's been going through some shit, but he's a good guy. I love him more than life itself, even when I wanna rip his stomach out through his throat. We can't leave, Dale. I'm sorry you feel that way but I'm not going anywhere and he won't leave without me, I won't let him."

She picked up two of her bags and slowly made her way out of the RV. She gave Dale an apologetic squeeze on the hand before she made her way out of the vehicle. Quietly, she moved into Daryl's tent as she tried not to wake him up. The sun would be down soon and she'd have to wake him for dinner in a few minutes anyway. It was like seeing a whole other side of him as she watched him sleep. All the hard lines seemed to smooth out as he rested, not caring about anything other than rest. Carefully she moved onto the cot with him, glad that he didn't wake as he took her into his arms.

Stefani was about to fall asleep when she heard Shane's voice not too far from the tent. Instinct told her that she should go out and see that he was okay, but the warmth beside her seemed to overpower that need to check on her brother. It was the other voice that joined his that brought her attention away from the sleeping man beside her.

Dale telling Shane to leave left a pit in her stomach. She knew that he'd thought about leaving before, and said that he would be fine on his own, but she wasn't sure if he still felt that way. As stubborn as he was, could Dale push him out of the group? Stefani couldn't help but wonder. Her ears perked up as she continued to eavesdrop on their conversation. The mention of Otis, made Stefani want to jump to her brother's defense. There was no way he would have let a man die if he could've helped it. They saved Carl, that's all that should matter. It was Dale's next theory that made Stefani's heart stop.

"But I was the time that you raised your gun on Rick. You had him in your sights and you held him there. I know what kind of man you are."

"That is the man that I love. I love him like he's my brother. You think that's the kind of man that I am? Well, maybe we ought to just think that through. Say I'm the kind of man who'd gun down his own best friend what do you think I'd do to a man I don't even like."

Stefani's body went rigid as she took in the words that came out of her brother's mouth. It was like listening to a bad ventriloquist routine. It sounded like Shane, but she knew that those words couldn't really leave his lips. She felt a tear slip down her cheek as she fought the emotions that were boiling inside of her. The arms around her body tightened as she felt Daryl sigh against her neck.

"You okay?" He asked with hoarse words. She nodded, not trusting the sobs to stay buried if she opened her mouth. Instead she burrowed deeper within his hold, knowing that as long as she was in his tent with him, nothing bad could happen to her.


	18. Chapter 18

**The bar was filled with smoke and the smell of stale alcohol. It was the kind of dive bar that only locals frequented or those that were just looking to escape. The latter is why Stefani found herself there that night. She didn't want to deal with the fall out of yet another failed relationship and see the look of pity on her friends' faces as they watched him come into their favorite Atlanta bar with a new bimbo on his arm. Her curls were thrown over her face as she laid across the sticky surface. In a few minutes, they would yell for last call. **

"**Stefani, what the hell?" Shane's voice yelled over the dying music. It took her a moment to even register what was happening before she was being dragged out of the bar and into her brother's truck. **

"**Stop, Shane please wait a minute." She tried to be forceful, but he ignored her. "Let me the fuck go." Stefani yelled falling out of his grasp. Landing on the gravel, she took a few gulps of air trying to clear her head. **

"**Why are you here, Stefani? Why is it that every phone call I get from you now if from some shitty bar in the middle of nowhere?"**

"**Do you know what today is?" She sighed heaving herself up and back into the passenger seat. Shane hit the side of the hood before joining her in the truck. They drove in silence, Shane trying his hardest not to yell at her anymore. **

"**You're scaring me, honey." He finally said. "This out all night shit was cute when you were younger, but you've got a job and responsibilities."**

"**I quit the diner. It wasn't like I was actually making any money anyway. Dylan broke up with me, kicked me out of the apartment. And icing on the cake this would have been my wedding day." She sighed as she leaned against the cool glass of the window. "I'm supposed to be walking down an isle in an outrageous white gown marrying the only man I'm gonna love. So, I'm sorry Shane. Today just seemed like the best time to get shitfaced drunk."**

**He reached out and pulled her into his side. Placing a kiss on her temple, he made sure to hold her as tightly as he could while still driving the vehicle. She sobbed until they made it into the city, by the time he drove past her old apartment she had passed out. **

Stefani watched Shane from a distance. It was like she was staring at a stranger in her brother's skin. She didn't know who the man was, but she was still drawn to him like before. The need to move towards him, smiling and hug him like every morning, was still there. She helped T-Dog with breakfast in silence, too distracted to make conversation.

"You look good girl," he finally said with a smile.

"Thanks, T. I've been sleeping better, I guess." She sighed as she cracked a few more eggs.

"You sure that's all it is?" The suggestion in his words didn't go unnoticed, but Stefani decided not to comment on it.

Her eyes swept over to Shane one last time before she went around dishing out food for everyone. She smiled as she poured some food on Daryl's plate, leaning down to kiss him tenderly for a second. Her smile grew as she felt his hand come up and hold her to his lips a little longer. Taking the dished back to the container, Stefani moved back to Daryl's side. He didn't hesitate when she slid onto his lap, grabbing a forkful of the breakfast she'd put on there for him.

For a moment, the look he gave her almost stopped her heart. She thought that it would piss him off a little, a part of her did it just to get a slight rise out of him. Instead he wrapped an arm around her hips and held her against him, watching her intently as she bit the meat off his fork. The intimacy that had suddenly grown between them was intense and something she'd never thought she'd have in a world like this. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and moved in to kiss him again. The two were in their own little world until they heard Glenn clear his throat. Still smiling like an idiot, Stefani turned her attention to her friend.

"So guys, the barn's full of walkers."

That one simple statement made everyone stop. She wanted to take it as a joke, laugh it off and say it was a good one, but the seriousness on the young man's face was too hard to ignore. She felt Daryl's grip on her tighten and she couldn't help but fist the back of his shirt. Her eyes drifted over to her brother and she was glad that he was already staring at her with concern creasing his brow.

It didn't take long for the group to abandon their meal and head towards the offending structure. Stefani took hold of Sophia's hand and walked with her a little behind the others. It became all too real just how comfortable they had all become here. Sophia was brushing her wind swept hair out of her face with her casted arm. None of them were ready for the reality that there were still dangers out to get them.

"Stay behind me," Daryl said as he came up beside her. "Keep her close."

Stefani stayed behind the group, holding her breath as she watched her brother move closer to the door. They could all hearing the low moans and growls that were coming from inside. She wanted to reach out and pull her brother away, but she knew that he wasn't in any real danger. If there had been walkers in the barn the entire time and none had gotten out than it was obviously secure enough.

"You cannot tell me you're alright with this." Shane nearly growled as he moved away from a hissing walker. Stefani couldn't help but flinch at his tone.

"No I'm not, but we're guests here. This isn't our land." Rick spoke up.

That statement brought protests from many group members, but all Stefani could focus on was the trembling girl in her arms. She couldn't help but notice how delicately Sophia tried to hold onto her, almost cradling her arms around her stomach to offer some kind of protection. It was now painfully obvious that she needed to tell Daryl about their situation.

"We either got to go in there and make things right, or we've just got to go. Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time." Shane tried to reason with his friend.

"We can't go."

"Why, Rick? Why?"

"My mommy's still out there." Sophia's soft voice finally broke through to the men.

Shane tried his hardest not to be too blunt towards the girl, and Stefani almost thanked him for that. But it was still painfully obvious what he thought of the whole situation. "I think we need to consider the other possibility."

"We're close to finding her," Daryl stepped up making sure to put himself between Shane and the girls. "I just found her sweater the other day."

"You found a sweater Daryl. That's what you found and it might not even be hers."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about." Daryl said moving closer to him.

Stefani pulled Sophia behind her, knowing that with these two it would most likely end in some sort of physical confrontation. She was glad that Rick was trying to control her brother, but she knew that it wasn't going to help any.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said. Let me tell you something else, man. If she was alive out there and saw you coming all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she'd run in the other direction."

That was all that needed to be said before Daryl was lunging towards Shane. Rick stayed between the two, keeping them from getting a hand on each other. Stefani made sure Sophia was away and with Carl before she stepped in, wrapping her hands and Daryl's arms in order to pull him back. She was able to step in front of him as she watched her brother move away, clear disappointment in his eyes. She stood there with Daryl pressed against her back, his hands gripping her hips tightly as they continued to argue. He pulled her even closer when the walkers in the barn began to push against the door, growling with more force.

"I can't stay here." Stefani sighed, already feeling her stomach quiver at the thought of the rotting flesh behind the door. "Sophie, Carl, come on."

Stefani allowed Sophia and Carl to join Lori for some study time, while she snuck out of camp for a little while to calm her trembling stomach. After emptying all the contents of her stomach into a nearby bush, she slowly made her way back to camp trying to clear her head in the process. She knew that it was probably best if they left, she knew that she couldn't raise a child next to a barn full of walkers, but the alternative didn't seem much better either.

"You shouldn't be out here alone." Rick said as he caught up with her. "Especially given the new circumstances."

"I've got my gun and knives. I thought you were going to talk to Herschel?"

"He's not at the house yet, I figured I should get my thoughts together before going to talk to him anyway. Do you think we should leave?"

"I think you have a tough decision to make." She said as she leaned against the fence while he came to a stop next to her. "I'm sorry you got put in this leadership position, but I'm glad it's you. Rick, you take care of people and that's what I've always loved about you."

"You know, I was thinking the other night about the last time we spoke. I was going to meet you in Atlanta for lunch on a Thursday."

"The 23rd. I know what day it was, the day it should've been." She sighed glancing at him quickly.

"I would've still gone through with it, Stefani." He moved closer to her, placing an arm around her shoulders and leaning into her. "Just tell me why, why did you push me away? What did I do?"

"It was me. It was my decision, Rick. We were too young and I wasn't ready to take on all of that responsibility. Hell I'm still not ready. What you and Lori had was a good thing, and maybe with a little work it can be again." She tried to keep her breathing even, not allowing him to have an effect on her.

"Lori's pregnant." He sighed, resting his forehead against her temple. "She's pregnant and I'm not even sure if it's my baby."

"Don't," Stefani said moving away from him. "Don't do that to yourself, Rick. It's yours. She's your wife and she loves you. And if you ever loved me, you will leave me out of this situation."

He shook his head, watching as Stefani began to pace a few steps in front of him. His eyes studied her carefully and he couldn't help the small flutter she always seemed to cause in him. Finally coming to a stop, Stefani put her hands of her hips and stared at him.

"If you'd come to me five months ago, maybe even two, I would listen to you until there was nothing left to say. But I don't have that kind of time anymore, or patience. You're not the only one here that has shit going on. Somehow I got stuck looking after a little girl that is smarter than me half the time. I have a brother that is about a stone's throw away from going to crazy town and a man that I was content with just fucking who has now become the only person I can rely on in this shit world and half the time I don't know what he wants from me."

She moved back to the fence and leaned against it. Tears were streaming down her face before she felt herself being taken into his arms. Her hand grabbed his shirt, holding him to her tightly. It had been so long since she was able to go to him for any kind of comfort, she'd forgot how nice it felt. His hand moved through her hair, fingers tangling in her curls as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I miss just being your friend, Stefani. I miss how easy it was between us before things got so complicated."

"Me too," she sighed as she buried her face against his neck.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Daryl carried the saddle into the stables, almost dreading getting back on a horse again. He would never admit that he was slightly anxious about being on the large animal again, but it was more to do with the pain it would cause just to get up that worried him. Finally able to put the saddle down, he gave himself a moment to recover. That's when he heard the tiny shuffle of footsteps.

"You can't." Sophia called from the door. "Hershel said you need to get better."

"I'm fine." He said, and just to prove his point he stood up a little straighter and moved to the horse stall.

"Rick's going out later to follow the trail."

"Yeah, well I ain't gonna sit around and do nothing." He said trying to ignore how upset she was beginning to sound.

"No, you're gonna go out there and get yourself hurt even worse. We don't know if we're going to find her, Daryl. I don't." She said as strong as she could as tears began to slip over her eyes.

"What?" He said so softly to her, Sophia almost flinched.

"I can't lose you too." She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes.

This time she did flinch as he moved closer to her, before stepping around and reaching for the saddle anyway.

"What the hell do you know? You're just a kid, I'm going out there to keep looking."

He was about to lift the saddle up again when he caught site of Stefani and Rick walking back towards camp, his hand guiding her from its place low on her back. It was like taking another arrow to the side as he watched them smile together. Sophia noticed his distracted look and instead of seeing what he was, she ran to the stable door and called out for Stefani. It didn't take long for the woman to leave her friend and make her way into the stables. By the time she crossed the threshold, Daryl was already back to business.

"Tell him he can't go. He's gonna get hurt." Sophia pleaded with Stefani. The older woman watched with pain-filled eyes as she saw the man she cared about most in the world push himself to lift the saddle he normally wouldn't have any trouble with.

"Why don't you go find Carl? I'm sure there's something fun you two can do for a few hours." She told the girl as she stepped further inside.

"But Stefani," Sophia whined.

"Don't worry, he ain't going anywhere. I promise." With that the girl left the barn slowly glancing over her shoulder every so often to make sure Stefani was still keeping an eye on Daryl.

"What are you doing?" Stefani asked almost playfully as she put a hand over his to stop his actions. "Come on, let's go back to the tent and rest for a little while."

He pulled away from her touch and moved back towards the stall. His entire body telling her he wasn't in the mood for cute and playful. "Why don't you go ask Rick, I'm sure he's got plenty of free time? It ain't like he's helping with this search any."

"Don't do that, Daryl. You know he's just my friend, and he's doing the best he can with the situation we're in. I'm here for you, looking out for you. Please don't do this and get yourself killed looking for Carol when we're not even sure if she's still alive. She didn't have any weapons, and the knife I gave her was on the ground an hour later. She's not out there anymore at least not alive."

"No wonder that little girl has given up. Fuck, Stefani. No one should grow up without a mother. I'm just doing what that little girl needs. No one else is taking this seriously, but I'm gonna find her mama because I promised her I would."

"Sometimes promises have to be broken. She's young and I'm not saying it won't hurt, but she'll learn to move on. We all have. But if we lose you out there, that's something that will weigh on her forever. I need you here, healing. You have to be a hundred percent if something goes wrong. We may be leaving soon and I'm gonna need you to protect me more now than ever."

"Why? You've always got people looking out for you. You never needed me for anything more than to get off." He sighed finally abandoning the saddle and reins.

"If that's what you wanna think, than fine. But if you're not gonna protect me, then at least protect our baby."

Her last words stopped him. Frozen in place, Daryl raked his eyes over her form, only now realizing that her shirt was a little bit tighter around the belly. He ran a hand through his hair as he watched her carefully. It was the strangest sensation that came over him, for a moment he was thinking about taking her into his arms and the next he was shaking his head in anger. He wasn't father material. That's something he'd known his whole life. It was irrational, but that thought was what fueled everything that came out of his mouth without a second thought.

"It ain't mine. Can't be mine." He told her taking steps to distance himself from her.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Who else's would it be? It's yours Daryl, I've only been sleeping with you." She cried at him through anger. "Look at this, you did this." She said as she raised her shirt up over her bump.

"You sure it was me and not that cop boyfriend of yours? I seen the way you two are always finding ways to be alone together, walking around here like you're two fucking animals in heat." Stefani moved so quickly that he didn't even realize what she was doing until he felt the sting against his cheek. He moved to reach out for her but before he could she hit him again.

"Don't fucking touch me. Don't you ever lay a fucking hand on me again, Dixon." She yelled before storming out of the stable. She heard him toss the saddle, and it took all of her will power not to turn around at his grunt in pain. Instead she continued on as angry tears fell down her face.

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**Well now Daryl knows. I know that these two have been through a lot, but I feel like they can take at least one more hit before finally seeing how much they mean to each other. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Wow it's been a long time. I'm sorry for the wait but sadly life thought I had better things to do than write this. I hope I did this chapter justice, it was a struggle to get it just the way I wanted and I'm still not too sure how I feel about the end, but it needed to be put out there non the less. Thank you to everyone that has patiently waited for the update and for everyone new that has left a review/follow/favorite.**

**Enough of that, I hope everyone enjoys the chapter!**

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"Hey hey hey," Shane called as he saw Stefani stomping through the field. He wasn't sure if she was coming to see him, or if she even knew where she was. It was one of those times when just by looking at her he knew that she could rip a person apart with her bare hands if provoked.

"Stefani, come on." Shane stood up and moved in front of her. "Hey girl, slow down. What the hell happened?"

"Get off me." She cried, throwing her arms in order to get him away from her. She beat against his chest, taking all of her frustration out on her brother. Finally, exhausted, Stefani crumbled against him and Shane held her close to him as they fell to the ground.

Shane ran his hands through her hair, soothing her as best he could. He felt as she fisted his thin shirt in her hands aggressively. Her entire body was rigid with anger and some kind of desperation. She continued to sob against his chest until she could take in a shuddering breath.

"Let's go." She finally told him. "You have the new car and we can pack up our things and be out of here before the sun goes down. It's not safe here anymore. We can make it on our own."

Shane eyed his sister carefully, trying to figure out what had brought on this decision so quickly. "Is that what you want? The last time I brought it up…"

"I wanna go. There's nothing here for us. Please, Shane." The pleading in her eyes terrified him.

"Tell me what happened, Stefani." More tears fell from her eyes, silently running down her face.

"He doesn't want me. He never really wanted me. All I've got is you." She pulled away from him slightly, sitting in front of him with her eyes downcast. "I screwed up, Shane."

"Stefani, no matter what you did or didn't do, you've always got me." He smiled at her, standing up before reaching down for her.

Stefani stood up and turned to lean with him against the tractor. They kept their eyes on the barn in front of them. She absentmindedly let her hand fall to her bump and glanced back to the stables. Her heart broke as she caught Daryl's gaze. Once he was caught, he moved in the other direction heading out towards the small lake. A part of her wanted to follow him, maybe yell and fight it out, but she was suddenly exhausted. There were too many things to fight now-a-days that she didn't want to fight for affection as well. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Shane stand up straight at the sight of Rick. Seeing the man heading in their direction she stood and squeezed Shane's forearm before heading back towards camp.

Sophia stood up from where she and Carl had been playing and ran up to the puffy eyed woman. Stefani was still glancing back to where Shane and Rick were talking to even notice the little girl. It only took a moment before Sophia couldn't hold her questions in any longer.

"Is he leaving? Are you okay? Did you two have a fight?" The small blonde bombarded her with questions as she trailed behind Stefani.

The brunette wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew that she needed distance. She stopped beside the fire before glancing around the camp site, her hands raking through her hair. The tremble running through her entire body wouldn't seem to go away, even as Sophia stepped up and gripped broth of her hands tightly.

"Stefani," the young girl asked with worried eyes. The older woman sighed heavily as she saw the tears in Sophia's eyes. "Please tell me what's wrong."

Taking the little girl's hand, Stefani led her into the RV. Once inside a comforting ease fell over the pair. For a moment, Stefani was able to let go of the anger and frustration that had been pulsing through her. There was no way she would be able to tell the little girl what was really troubling her, it wouldn't be fair for her to know all the dirty secrets around camp.

"I told Daryl about the baby." She finally said, staring down at where her hands rested against her slowly growing stomach. "He wasn't too happy."

"But he's going to be a daddy," Sophia smiled at the thought. She may very well be the only one in the entire camp that thought Daryl would make a good father.

"It's more complicated than that, sweetie. A baby is a lot of responsibility and another mouth to feed. We're already struggling and eventually we may have to move again. Babies are loud and can't defend themselves."

"But their cute and happy, don't you want to play with one again?" The innocence in her eyes almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Yeah, Sophie I do. But for the first time since all of this shit happened, I'm actually scared."

Sophia was in her lap before Stefani even acknowledged he moving off the bed. It was strange to have the little girl holding onto her so tightly. Suddenly becoming a mother didn't seem like such a terrifying things. If she could look after this little girl how much harder could a baby really be? Stefani let her head fall against the blonde curls, in that moment the two knew that they could really only rely on each other, it was just easier that way.

"If there's ever a day when we need to leave, promise me you won't go without me." Sophia asked softly against her neck. Stefani couldn't trust her voice and instead just nodded before placing a kiss on the girl's temple.

How long they stayed holding each other was lost of them, it wasn't until Andrea stepped into the RV that reality set back in. Stefani got up, looking for anything that would keep her hands and mind busy. She gave a weak smile to Andrea before watching Sophia leave the vehicle.

"Everything okay," Andrea asked as she pulled that large bag of guns out from the cabinet. "You looked kind of shaken up earlier."

"I'm fine, considering the fact that in a few days we're going to be the road again."

"Rick will talk some sense into Herschel, he's good at things like that."

"Yeah, he's good." With a small smile Stefani left her friend and headed back out to the tents.

Her eyes fell on the tent she was sharing with Daryl. It was strange to think that it had only been a few days ago that she was sleeping in his arms and now he couldn't even look at her. Slowly she moved in and began repacking all of her things. She picked up a shirt that she knew wasn't hers, but had been sleeping in for what felt like months now. It was then that she broke down, falling to her knees as she clung to the shirt and her stomach.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"I think you made a mistake." Sophia called as she moved down the dock. Daryl was sitting there with his feet in the water. "She's really mad at you and you should fix it."

"What do you know about it?" He practically growled at her. The last thing he needed was a lecture from a child.

"She's scared, she told me." She came and took a seat next to him, dangling her toes in the water. "I think you'll be a good daddy, better than mine."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be too sure about that." He sighed, finally glancing at the girl beside him.

"I do. You look after everyone here and you've been helping find my mom. A baby is small, how much trouble can she get in?"

"She?" He said, squinting at her as if finally realizing that there was an actual human being they were talking about.

"Maybe, Stefani said we won't know until it's born. Would you be happier with a boy?"

He watched her for a moment longer before returning to the water below them. For the hours that he'd been sitting out here, never once did it cross his mind that there was an actual child involved. It was more about the concept of it not being his, because he couldn't deal with the responsibility. Even before the world went to shit he never thought about having children. But know that it was on the table, he knew that whether it was a boy or a girl didn't matter, it was the fact that it was going to be his and Stefani's. A little girl with her smile and crazy curls, or a boy with her eyes and the reckless Dixon attitude, either way it didn't matter.

"Come on," he said as he lifted himself off the dock. He reached down for Sophia, careful not to grip her arm too tightly as he lifted her up. "You'd want it to be a girl wouldn't you, just one more woman to tell me what to do." He asked as he pulled his boots back on. When he looked back up at her, the smile on her face was contagious.

"I always wanted a sister to play with." She glanced down at her admission. He hadn't realized that they were her family now. Stefani had taken her in and he was out looking for her mother, but it Carol never came back, it was going to be Stefani that kept the girl close.

"Listen, I'm sorry about what happened this morning. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"You want to find my mom, and I'm really grateful for that." She smiled and took a bold step forward to hug him around his waist. He wasn't sure who he surprised more, him or Sophia, but he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground. Her arms moved up to hug him tighter around the neck as he moved them off the dock. When she opened her eyes she was staring at a bush of Cherokee Roses, a smile spread across her lips.

"I still think your mama's out there. And we can find her, you know that?" He twisted his neck in order to see her face, she was comfortably leaning on one side of his body, careful not to hurt his wound. The small smile and nod of her head was all the affirmation he needed.

"Like I said, you're gonna be a good dad." She said as he handed he another flower and held it to her nose. "Now you need to figure out how to apologize to Stefani." She smiled and leaned her head down to his, giggling slightly as he let out of low sigh. She knew that wasn't going to be an easy thing to do.

Stefani sat on the porch of the house, leaning against the railing while she thought about what a shit day it had turned out to be. Watching Glenn and Maggie sitting happily next to her only added to the pit growing in her stomach. Had it really only been hours ago that she was that blissful with Daryl? Again she felt her hand subconsciously find the source of their falling out, the small bump a constant reminder that nothing was going to be the same again.

As she looked out across the farm she caught sight of Daryl and Sophia. Her heart almost stopped as she watched him smile at the girl in his arms. Stefani could tell that it was straining for him to hold her up as they walked back to camp, but the way they were holding onto each other looked as though the last thing he wanted to do was set her down. Biting her lip, Stefani tried to hold in the teary smile that was threatening to break across her face.

"Do you know what's going on?" T-Dog's voice brought her back to the group in front of her.

"Where is everyone?" Andrea asked following behind. Glenn stood up to talk to the two other group members. It was becoming painfully obvious that their fearless leader hadn't been seen in a few hours. "Rick went off with Hershel. We were supposed to leave a couple of hours ago."

"Yeah you were. What the hell?" Daryl said as he finally put the girl on the ground and walked up to the rest of the group. Smiling Sophia came and sat next to Stefani. "Damn it, isn't anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail."

Stefani stood up when she saw her brother heading towards the group. The bad of guns slung over his shoulder, her stomach dropped. She'd seen that face too many times to not know something bad was about to happen.

"What's all this?" Daryl asked as Shane finally stepped into the group.

"You with me man?" Daryl's eyes flicked to Stefani for the briefest of moments before he took the offered shotgun.

Stefani stood by as she listened to everyone talk out Shane's next move. Her arm wrapped around Sophia as everyone took a gun from the bag. "Look it was one thing sitting around picking daisies when we thought this place was safe. But know we know it ain't."

Maggie tried standing up to him, something Stefani found brave and made her like the young woman all the more. She knew it was hopeless trying to talk Shane down once he'd reached this point. The thought of being thrown off the farm was terrifying to most, but she knew that was the plan for her and her brother all along. Maybe this was the time for them to just pack it all in.

"We have to stay, Shane." Carl spoke up as he made his way down the porch. Sophia slipped out of Stefani's grasp to stand with her friend.

"Please, Shane." It broke Stefani's heart to watch them beg.

"We ain't going anywhere, okay?" This drew her attention back to her brother. "Now look, Hershel, he's just gotta understand. Well he's gonna have to."

"Shane what are you doing?" Stefani finally asked as she placed a hand his arm. "Why are you going this? I thought we had a plan, I thought…"

"Things change." She couldn't help but notice the glance he sent to Lori's approaching form. It was then that everything clicked for her. He wasn't going anywhere because Lori wasn't. He'd found out about the pregnancy and was thinking the same way Rick had been earlier this morning.

"Now you take this Carl. You keep your mom safe." Lori stepped in then and began to argue with him.

Stefani hadn't even realized she'd moved so far away from Shane when she bumped into another solid body. For a moment she tensed when she noticed who it belonged to, but there was something about the hurt expression he wore that softened her features.

"Oh shit," T's worry caught everyone's attention once again, before they were able to focus on the people in the distance.

Shane was the first one headed in that direction, shortly followed by the rest of the group. Stefani stayed in the back with the children, not wanting to be that close to whatever Hershel had roped Rick into doing with the walkers. She stood back with Sophia close to her, pulling her slightly behind her body as he started pulling the trigger. She felt her eyes sting with tears as she watched her brother make his point by putting bullets into the walking corpse. Before she knew it, her feet were moving her forward. It wasn't until he felt an arm wrap about her that she stopped. Lori was holding her back, both of the young kids behind them. All she could do was stare as she watched her brother open the barn door. For a moment she caught Daryl's gaze again. His eyes flicked down to her stomach before moving forward and taking aim at the walkers spilling out.

For a moment there was peace, an eerie kind with only the sounds of sobs. Stefani moved forward again, reaching out to touch Shane's arm. She couldn't stop to hurt that entered her eyes. He brushed her off, taking another step closer to the fallen bodies. It was then that everyone heard it. A final walker was snarling from just inside the barn doors.

It was on curiosity alone that Stefani took a step closer following her brother. All she needed was one small glimpse and she knew. Her heart was beating heavily in her chest as she moved back, quickly turning and searching for Sophia. The girl caught her eyes, and it was as if she could read Stefani's mind. She was stumbling forward, slowly moving into a run.

"Sophie, no." Stefani called out. Daryl reached around and pulled the girl to him.

Coming out of the barn was Carol. Stefani hated that she wasn't as surprised as the others. Flashes of that night running through the woods came flashing back. The once loving mother was now slowly shuffling her way towards the group. Her left leg was shredded, barely bone and what was left of her pant leg. Her body was dirty, covered in mud and blood and whatever else she'd managed to tumble. It was like something out of a nightmare. The deep growls and sharp chops of her teeth piercing the hearts of the people that once loved her.

Rick stepped up as everyone else faltered. No one was able to raise a weapon to a woman that they had once protected. As he raised the gun, leveling it with her head, there was a split moment of relief. At least they knew. There was no more wondering and praying.

The woman slowly making her way towards the group was no longer the woman they had searched for. She had died that night near the abandoned farm house, Stefani was sure of it. This was just another monster that was threatening to kill more of the people they loved. The only silver lining Stefani could find was that there was little resemblance left of the woman, friend, mother that they had all known.

A single shot rang out, silencing everyone for a moment as they watched the body drop.


	20. Chapter 20

Sophia collapsed against Daryl. She was a dead weight against him as she was violently wrecked with sobs for her mother. Everyone was motionless, trying to take in the events that had just occurred moments before. It was a massacre, necessary to most, but a slaughtering of loved ones none the less. Daryl tried picking up the girl, holding her in his arms like he had not but a few minutes ago. It was as if she was suddenly years older. She violently pushed out of his grasp, shoving the older man as best she could.

Stefani remained near her brother, but the smell was beginning to get to her. Her stomach was threatening to empty its contents where she stood. Swallowing thickly, she bent over avoiding breathing in too deep. She felt a hand rest on her back, rubbing large circles around her spine. A small smile graced her lips as she looked up to see who had come to comfort her. It wasn't who she was expecting, her smile faltering as she looked into her brother's face.

"You really fucked this up, Shane." She said as she moved away.

Sophia barely looked up as Stefani stepped into the RV. Sliding in next to the girl, Sophia leaned her head against her shoulder as she looked out the window. Stefani's fingers ran through the girl's hair as they both sat quietly. Neither knew what was going to happen next. It wasn't up to them and it was beginning to become clear that the group was falling apart. There wasn't one leader, but multiple trying to have things done their way. Stefani flinched as she felt Sophia's hand begin to move over her bump in the small soothing patterns that matched Stefani's.

Both girls' faltered as they heard the RV door open. It was obvious that Sophia didn't want any visitors, but the moment she saw Daryl her eyes softened. Stefani offered a smile as he took a seat beside them on the counter. As soon as Sophia's hand began to move again, so did Stefani's.

"I'm sorry, Daryl. I shouldn't have hit you earlier." Sophia's weak voice barely made it to his ears, but Stefani felt it in her chest.

"They're ready," Lori said as she slipped in through the door to the surprise of the three occupants.

Sophia shook her head, tears falling from her eyes again. "I can't."

"Sophie, that's your mom." Daryl tried to convince her with a soft voice, but the blonde girl only shot him another pained look.

"You said you would find her. She was supposed to be alive. That's not my mama. That's a monster, something scary. My mama was nice and pretty. She never came back." Sophia moved further into the window as her tears continued to fall.

Lori left, and Daryl hesitated by the door. Stefani could tell that he was debating on leaving the girl. She slid out of the bench and moved closer to him, both exiting the RV but keeping a watchful eye on the child.

"I'll stay with her. Maybe I can convince her to go in a few minutes. She's just upset."

"I feel like shit for lying to her." He confessed as he kept his eye trained on the ground. "I don't know why I thought I could bring her back."

"You didn't lie to her. How could you have known?"

"But you did." He said finally looking up at her. "That look on your face when she came out of the barn, you knew didn't you?"

"I…that night Sophia and I were in the woods…I wasn't sure." She finally said defeated.

"Damn it, Stef. We were all out there looking, you let me give that little girl hope, and you knew the whole damn time."

"I didn't, Daryl, I didn't know not for sure. It was dark and there were so many."

"You could've told me. Instead I was out there every damn day chasing ghosts." He turned away from her. A fire burning inside of her chest as she realized he was the one yelling at her, when only hours ago she was furious with him.

"Fine walk away, again." She knew how pathetic it sounded, but she was tired of watching him leave her behind.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Sophia slipped out of the RV as Stefani was resting on one of the beds in the back. She knew that she was being selfish, even sounding like a brat, but she thought she deserved at least one day. It had been so long since she'd really acted her age. Every day they would ask her to be brave, strong, things that she wasn't good at even before the end of the world.

She didn't know where she was going, until she was standing by the dock. A small smile graced her lips as she thought about how safe she'd felt while being held in Daryl's arms only hours before. Her feet carried her further from the water and she stopped in front of the patch of Cherokee Roses. Eyes prickling with tears, she threw herself at the bush and began to destroy the delicate flowers as quickly as she could. She wanted every last reminder gone.

Her mother wasn't coming back. She was alone, orphaned at the world's end. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled at the thick stems and as her skin caught on thorns from the other wild overgrowth. Her cries were muffled, still trying to stay as quiet as possible so as not to draw any attention to herself. It wasn't until she was crumbled on the ground surrounded by mussed petals and leaves did she finally cry for her mother.

Not sure how long she'd stayed out there, she finally pulled herself up and let her feet carry her back to camp. As she stumbled out of the woods, she blindly made her way to the circle of tents that they called home. It wasn't until she heard the soft call of her name did her movements slow down. Sophia looked up to see Shane watching her carefully. He was trying not to scare her, but she knew that nothing would shake her hesitation towards the man.

"Sophia, are you alright?" He asked as he gently guided her towards the water pump. "Come on sweetheart, let's get you cleaned up."

She didn't say anything as he used a bucket to clean off her hands and arms. For the first time she couldn't stop herself from staring at the ex-cop. He had the same dark eyes as Stefani, but they were missing a softness that she'd grown to love from the woman. It was hard for her to believe that they were related. All the safety she felt with Stefani was absent when Shane was around.

"I didn't know she was in there." He finally said, glancing up at the girl. "If I'd known…"

"It's okay. I'm glad it's finally over." Again she felt hot tears roll down her cheeks.

"I was just trying to keep everyone safe. You know that, right? My sister, you, Carl…" Sophia could only nod. She wasn't as clueless as they all thought, she knew that they were probably at the bottom of his list, but a small part of her did feel safer now that there weren't walkers so close to where they slept.

"Sophia," Daryl called as he slowly made his way closer to the pair. Shane stood up and watched as Daryl stopped a good distance away. The little girl stood up and almost ran towards the redneck. He bent down and let her throw her still casted arm around his neck as he carefully lifted her. His eyes ran over her hands and arms taking in the damage.

Shane couldn't help the rising jealousy he felt in the pit of his stomach. He could possibly lose to Rick, but losing to Dixon wasn't an option.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"Hey Rick," Stefani called out as she moved towards the house. "I wanna come with you."

"I don't think that's such a good idea. Sophia needs you here."

"Daryl's with her. Please, I can't just sit here and do nothing. Besides I'm better back up than Glenn." The small smile she offered brought a laugh to his lips.

"You have your gun, knives?" She nodded as she moved to the door. "You're following my lead, you hear me. I don't want you going off on your own."

"Whatever you say, Rick." She smiled and slid into the back seat of the car.

The drive from the farm was peaceful. She forgot how nice the open road was. The wind blew her hair out of her face, and brought a smile to her lips as she remembered all the times she'd driven down roads like this in a different life, when there was less death and more to live for. The two men in the front talked about Glenn's relationship and a part of her envied its simplicity. She was sure Rick did as well on some level. Love seemed like something that didn't belong in a world like this. It wasn't strong enough to keep the people you cared about safe.

Following behind them as they headed towards the bar, she didn't feel the normal safety that came with having her gun drawn. Something about holding it in front of her, so close to her growing baby just didn't feel right. She was thankful that the bar was empty, except for the dejected man sitting with his back to them. Rick called out to him, announcing their presence.

"Who's with you?" The older man asked.

"Glenn, and Stefani."

"Maggie send him?"

"He volunteered, he's good like that." Rick cautiously moved closer to the man.

Stefani hung back by the door. Rick was good with this sort of thing. She wasn't sure what to say to the man to make him come home. If she wasn't in the situation she was, she'd probably take a seat with him and help him finish the bottle. Leaning against one of the table tops, she tried to keep herself far away from the enticing liquid so as not to complicate an already complicated pregnancy.

When it became clear that Hershel was not going to be heading home any time soon, Glenn and Rick moved back to the door to keep a watch on the street. Stefani moved further into the building, hoping to find some supplies to take back with them so that the trip wouldn't be too much of a bust.

"So what do we do, just wait until he passes out?" Glenn asked, not as quietly as he's planned.

"Just go. Just go." Herschel said as he held the glass to his lips again. Stefani stuck her head back into the main room, eyeing the three men with her.

"I promised Maggie I'd bring you home safe." Rick said from the door.

"Like you promised that little girl?" Stefani's eyes snapped to Rick. Her chest tightened.

"So what's your plan? Finish the bottle? Drink yourself to death and leave your girls alone?"

Again she found a table to rest on. The two powerful leaders butting heads as if it the lives of many depended on who came out on top, and a part of her believed that was truly the case. Her gaze would occasionally meet Glenn's, but the pair remained silent. Her gun held loosely in her hand, the other came to rest on her stomach, a new comfort she found.

It wasn't until she heard the words uttered so dejectedly from Hershel's mouth that she snapped back into attention. "There is no hope for any of us."

"Hershel, I'd really like to go back to the farm. If you want us to leave, we will." That statement earned her a glare from Rick. "If it's Shane you want gone, than consider it done. All I know is that there are two girls there that need their father, and a little girl that is waiting for me as well. There are people back home that need you there, you and Rick. I don't care if you see no hope, they need you to at least pretend it's there because it's all they have to hold onto. It's all I have most days."

She was surprised when Hershel finished his drink and stood. They would hopefully be able to make it back to the farm before dark. The sudden urge to run into strong arms came over her in a heavy wave. Guilty for not telling him where she'd gone, all she wanted to do now was make it back before he realized she was missing. The sound of the door opening caught all of their attention, and caused her heart to stop.

"Son of a bitch, they're alive."

The two men standing in the door looked the furthest thing from harmless. Instinctively, Stefani moved closer to Rick. It didn't take long for them to get comfortable and pour themselves a drink. As they sat down, recounting how they met, Stefani hung back. She tried not to dwell on the fact that the "scrawny douchbag Tony" kept glancing in her direction and Dave's gaze seemed to linger for a little longer than necessary.

"I'm Glenn, it's nice to meet some new people." He smiled as Rick handed him a glass of liquor as well, introducing himself.

"How about you, Pal? Have one?" Dave asked Hershel.

"I just quit," the man said sending a smile in Stefani's direction.

"You have a unique sense of timing my friend."

"His name's Hershel. He lost people today, a lot of them." Rick explained, placing another glass in front of Stefani, but she tried to subtly move it off to the side.

"I'm truly sorry to hear that. To better days and new friends, and to our dead, may they be in a better place." The men took a drink, but Stefani remained still.

"And you sweetheart? I know it's no frilly frozen drink, but you gotta learn to make do." Dave said as she motioned to the glass she'd set aside.

"I'm not a big drinker." This earned her another glance from Rick.

"Come on, live a little. We'll behave, I promise." The little gleam in his eyes told her otherwise and her heart pounding in her chest made her feel sick to her stomach. It might have been the musty bar, stale liquor, or the situation put she was sure that she'd spill what little contents she had in her stomach at any minute.

"I can't," she began but her eyes narrowed in on the gun Tony had tucked into the waist of his jeans.

Rick took the opportunity to address this and figure out what the pair wanted. Stefani still found herself glued to her spot, fingers slipping over the necklace over her heart and a hand on her belly thankfully hidden behind the bar.

"How about you guys." That was the question Stefani had been dreading.

"Fort Benning, eventually." Rick said, even though the three knew he was lying.

"I hate to piss in your cornflakes, officer, but we ran across a grunt who was stationed at Benning. He said the place was overrun with lamebrains."

"Wait, Fort Benning is gone? Are you for real?" Glenn piped up.

For a moment, Stefani moved closer to him. Both of them took in the reality that they really did have no place to go if Hershel decided to kick them off the farm. She ran a hand down his back, trying to comfort him and distract herself.

"Doesn't look like you guys are hanging your hats here. You hold up somewhere else?" Dave asked. Rick visibly tensed for all of two seconds, Stefani's trained eyes noticed.

"Not really."

"Those your cars out front?"

"Yeah, why?" Glenn offered, Stefani had to stop herself from smacking him.

"We're living out of ours. Those look kinda empty, clean. Where's all your gear?"

"We're with a larger group? Out scouting, thought we could use a drink." Hershel filled in.

"A drink, Hershel, I though you quit?" There was a moment of silence. "Well we're thinking about setting up around here. Is it safe?"

"It can be. Although I have killed a couple of walkers around here." Glenn offered again Stefani refrained from maiming the poor idiot.

Stefani felt herself grow increasingly uneasy as they began to question where they were set up. Fiddling with her necklace, the clasp broke just as Dave began to sing Ole' McDonald. Thankfully she caught the charms before any clattered to the ground. Tucking the chain and locket into her jeans, the ring stayed in her hand.

"Yeah, honey, you got any friends with you. If their half as pretty as you I might just have to stay a little longer." Dave said as he eyes, Stefani.

"The few we have are married." Rick jumped in to save her.

"What about you sweetheart? What do you say we get to know each other a little better?"

"Well, that drink I didn't have. It's because I'm pregnant." She could feel the hole being burned into her from Glenn and Rick before they turned back to the other men.

"You know, beggars can't be choosers, right Dave?" Tony said with a chuckle as he zipped his pants back up. A new wave a nausea hit her hard.

"Sorry," she said as she moved around the bar. She held up her hand to show the small diamond ring on her finger and stand beside Rick. "He's not really the sharing type. Right, honey?"

If it caught him off guard he didn't show it, instead wrapping his arm around her waist. "We've said enough." Rick finally said as he held Stefani to him protectively.

"Well, hang on a second. This farm, it sounds pretty sweet. Don't it sound sweet, Tony?"

"Yeah, real sweet. How about a little southern hospitality?" Tony said as he made his way back to the other side of the bar.

"We got some buddies back at camp, been having a real hard time. I don't see why you can't make room for a few more. We could pool our resources, manpower." Dave tried to sound diplomatic.

"Look, I'm sorry. That's not an option."

"Doesn't sound like it'd be a problem."

"We can't take in anymore. Like my wife said, she'd pregnant and I have to think about my family."

"You guys are something else. I thought we were friends. You know we got people we got to look out for too."

"We don't know anything about you."

"No, that's true. You don't know anything about us. You don't know what we've had to go through out there, things we've had to do. I bet you've had to do some of those same things yourself, am I right? Cause ain't nobody's hands clean at the end of this world, we're all the same. So come on, let's take a nice friendly hayride to this farm and we'll get to know each other."

"That's not going to happen." Rick said as he let Stefani fall from his grasp. Carefully he tapped the gun that the placed securely in the back of her jeans.

She stayed out of the way, back pressed into the bar as the men began to yell at each other. Her finger slipped over the cool metal waiting for the moment she'd have to take the weapon out and protect herself and her child. She watched Rick closely, thankful that she could still read him like a book. Her mouth went dry as she watched Dave behind the bar. The second he began to reach of his gun, Rick was pulling the trigger and Stefani had aimed and fired the first shot into Tony before Rick even spun around. He put two more bullets in him just to be sure he was dead. Glenn and Hershel stared at them in disbelief.

Rick turned back to her, his eyes running over her for what seemed to be the first time in years. She felt exposed, but also a new fire burned within her. She could protect herself, and now he knew that too, they all did.


	21. Chapter 21

Daryl watched as Sophia ran with Carl to the house. They were going to have dinner with the Greene's, and he knew that it would be easier to finish setting up his camp away from everyone if she was gone. It was just starting to get dark and he couldn't stop the uneasy feeling he had growing in his gut. He hadn't seen Stefani since they buried Carol and he was sure that Sophia hadn't either. Chewing his at the side of his thumb he thought about where she could have gone. It wouldn't be right if he moved far without anyone to look after the girl.

"They can't find Lori, and the others aren't back yet either." Maggie called out as she ran towards the fire Daryl was poking at.

"Yeah, dumb bitch must have gone out looking for them." He didn't look her way, which caused him to miss the gaping mouth of Sophia as she came to a stop behind the much older Greene girl.

"What?" Maggie asked surprised that he'd already jumped to that conclusion.

"She asked me to go. I told her I was done being an errand boy."

"And you didn't say anything?" She asked. The look on her face was nothing but complete bewilderment. With a shake of her head, she turned to leave and reached out to take Sophia with her, but the smaller girl held her ground.

"Don't do this. Please," the younger girl tried not to sound like she was begging, but she knew that's exactly what she was doing.

Daryl fought the urge to look towards the new voice. He should've known she'd come out here too. If he gave her even the smallest of glances, he was sure that he'd cave in a minute. There was something about that little girl that he couldn't say no to.

"I've already lost my mama," she started and took a few steps towards him.

"That wasn't my problem neither," he said getting up to leave the two.

"Stefani's missing too, Daryl." Sophia called after his retreating form. "I'll have no one left if she doesn't come back."

That stopped him in his tracks.

"She went with Rick and Glenn." Maggie finally spoke up again, placing an arm around Sophia. "Didn't she tell you?"

"No, she sure as hell didn't." Daryl said as he changed direction and moved towards the other tents. Sophia was hot on his trail followed by Maggie.

They got there just as everyone was coming back from their respective searches. To say they were surprised to see Daryl helping them was an understatement. T-Dog and Andrea shared a questioning look with Maggie before the man in front of them spoke.

"She asked me to go look for them. Must've gone herself." He explained, trying not to let the look on Shane's face provoke him into anything irrational, at least not until he got Stefani back and chained her to the RV.

Carl let out a whimper and it was Sophia that moved to him. The two children walked away to worry for their mothers in their own way. Andrea almost followed, but thought better of it as she heard Shane turn on Dale.

"Did you know about this?" The ex-cop only received a simple no. "Look just, did she take a gun?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't let her go out there alone."

Shane was already walking towards his car before Dale could finish his sentence. His steps only faltered when he heard Daryl call after him. "I'm going with you?"

"I think it's a little late to volunteer any help." Shane said as he opened the car door. "I can find her just fine on my own."

"And what about your sister? Can you find her too?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shane rounded on him.

"She left with Rick and Glenn this afternoon. I saw her get in the car, I thought she'd told someone." Maggie explained as she watched the two men from a distance.

"This is your fault. I don't know what the hell you did to her, but from now on if you so much as look at her I'll kick your sorry hillbilly ass, Dixon."

Before Daryl had any time to retaliate, Shane was already in the car. The tires kicked up dirt as he sped off in the direction of the road. Daryl let out a loud curse before stomping back to his camp. Sophia looked up at him as he passed, but she knew better than to follow him this time.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"Holy shit," Glenn said as he moved with Hershel to inspect the body. Rick kept his eyes trained on Stefani as she slipped the gun back in her waistband.

"Are you alright?" All he received was a nod before asking the other two.

"Let's head back." The older man said while Glenn took the gun off Tony before moving behind the bar to take the one off Dave as well.

"What you said earlier…" Rick started as he moved closer to Stefani.

"I'm sorry. It was the only thing I could think of to keep them from looking at me like I was their last supper. Thanks for playing along." She said trying not to meet his eyes. Her hands were still shaking from the adrenaline.

"Car, get down." Rick whispered as loudly as he could.

The group stayed silent as they listened to the men outside. Stefani stiffened slightly as she felt Rick slide his hand into hers giving it a squeeze. The ring on her finger pinched drawing both their attention. She wanted to rip it off, throw it across the room to just be done with the memories, but there was no time. All that mattered was making it out of the bar and back to her little patchwork family. Sophia would be worried sick, and by now Daryl definitely knew she was missing. Even if they were fighting at the moment, she still had to make it back to him for the sake of her baby.

They were about to make a run for the back of the bar when the men came back, trying to move into the bar, but Glenn slid in front of the door. Stefani sat again, knowing that all four of them weren't on the same page. She eyed Rick before glancing to the back door again. If anyone could read her, it would be him. He gave her a nod before she slowly made her way across the floor. She made it to the other side of the bar before the gunfire started.

She leaned against the wall as she tried to calm her breathing. Rick's shouts were deafening as she hid behind the safety of the bar. It wasn't until he gave Glenn a nod, did she move from her spot. As the young Asian moved to the back door, she followed closely behind in order to cover him. Her heart was racing a million miles a minute, but she knew that if she slowed down too much the adrenaline in her system would cause her to crash. She just hoped Rick had a plan to get them out and fast.

"Hershel, go with Glenn. See if you can make it to your car. Tell him to pull out back and we'll make a run for it." Rick instructed as the three stood at the back door to the bar. Hershel reluctantly took the gun and checked his rounds before following Rick's orders. "You stick close to me, remember?" Rick said pointedly to Stefani.

"I'm quicker, I should be helping Glenn." She told him sharply.

"Shane would never forgive me if something were to happen to you."

"Shane's not the one I'd be worried about." She said more to herself than to him, but the side glance he sent her way told her that he'd heard. "Don't give me that look. This isn't the time to have one of those _he's not good for you _discussions."

Rick was about to say something but was cut off by the sound of gunfire. Stefani moved first, but Rick was quick to overtake her. They came to a stop at the door leading to the back alley where Hershel stood. Moans from someone outside could be heard not too far from where they were standing.

"What happened?" Stefani asked as she tried to get a better look outside, but what kept back by the two men.

"He fired. He must have his Glenn. He's behind the dumpster, doesn't look like he's moving." Rick went after him, leaving Hershel and Stefani by the door.

She kept an eye on the two behind the dumpster as Hershel kept an eye on their surroundings. When they tried to make a run for the car, someone took a few shots at them. The sniper was on the roof across the street. There was no way any of them would be able to take him out. Lucky for them, a truck pulled around and tried to get the guy down. From the screams that echoed soon after, told them that he didn't make it off the roof successfully.

Stefani made to move down the stairs as the truck pulled away. Hershel was still frozen in the same spot as walkers began to come out. She moved for the car, trying her hardest to ignore all the screams of agony around her. Glenn and Hershel finally caught up when they realized Rick was no longer with him.

"Where's Rick?" Stefani asked as she turned to Glenn.

"He ran across."

"Well, hell. We can't go without him." Hershel said as they too ran across the road. Stefani stayed by the car, leaning her full weight against the hood until they came back with their leader.

She listened as they tried to talk Rick into leaving the boy. As sick as it may sound, she would rather them just leave him there to distract the walkers so they could get out of there without fear of any following them back to their families. Her breathing was still shallow and rushed, and the tremble in her body was not being eased by the boy's cries, she needed to leave. She needed to feel safe again. It was foolish for her to think that this would be an easy run into town. All the adrenaline running through her body couldn't be good for her baby.

As Hershel made the decision that it would be better to put the boy down than to rip him off the fence. She just hoped that they would do it soon so that they could head back. The word hatchet caught her ears and she knew that nothing good was going to come of what they did next.

"No, guys don't do this." She finally moved across the street. "Will you shut him up! This is crazy."

It was as if she hadn't said anything in the first place. The hot sting of tears running down her face only fueled her desire to leave. "Rick, please." She begged as she moved closer to him and he covered the boy's mouth. "Oh, God." She cried as she saw another group of walkers turn the corner.

They tried to take out as many as they could, but it was no use. There to too many corpses moving in their direction and not enough guns or ammo to slow them down any. It didn't help that the boy was still crying out and Hershel had no time to remove the leg. Stefani was already backing up and heading to the car as Hershel finally left the boy. Glenn was close behind them, now only waiting on Rick. He surprised them all when he took the boy's leg in his hand and jerked up roughly. The leg came free and so did louder screams before the boy passed out from shock or pain.

"You're a fucking dumbass." Stefani scolded as she opened the back of the car in order to lay the injured boy in the trunk.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"Shane will bring them back." Andrea tried to console the children as they sat by the fire. Sophia sent her a small smile as she still held Carl's hand tightly in hers.

The woman moved away from them, heading to the other camp. She knew he was probably planning on heading out on his own, but she wanted to at least offer to go with him. A part of her wanted to laugh at the setup, it seemed so obviously Daryl. Her hands slid into her back pockets as her eyes roamed over the animals strung up, and she unconsciously took a step forward to investigate the string of walker ears he seemed to proudly display. She wondered what Stefani saw in him.

"What are you doing?" Daryl's voice caused her heart to jump.

"I figured you'd be heading to find them, thought I'd offer to help?"

"Ain't going nowhere. You heard the cop, he can find them himself." He said as he moved closer to his own fire.

"You know you're just as good as them. I've seen you with Stefani, Sophia. You can try not to care, Daryl, but I know you do. You said so yourself that night we went searching for them in the woods."

"They got other people to look out for them."

"You love her." That caught his attention. He wanted to play dumb, but he knew that it was only a day ago he was acting like some love sick teenager with Stefani in his lap at breakfast. He heart sank realizing just how much had happened in so little time.

"How bout you mind your own damn business."

"I know she loves you. Even back at the quarry, I knew what was going on with you two. She's happier when you're around. You're good for her. Don't push her away. Hate Shane, Rick, whoever, but not her."

She watched him closely for a moment, wondering when he was going to blow up on her for intruding in his personal life, but they were interrupted when they heard a car pull back up the gravel road. She watched as his eyes found Shane's car, and the way he visibly tensed when he realized no one was following him. He took off towards the vehicle, Andrea moving quickly behind him.

By the time they made it back to the group, everyone was already surrounding the car. Lori was yelling at Shane as the others looked on. Andrea was moving quicker now, concerned by the appearance of the other woman. Daryl had slowed down to an almost leisurely pace, but she knew that there was nothing peaceful about his walk. Sophia was quick to take up the space beside him as she silently let tears fall from her eyes.

"I will go after them, I will find them. Hey. Now look, first things first I gotta look after you. I gotta make sure the baby's all right, okay?" Shane tried to placate the enraged woman.

Sophia's eyes widened when she heard the word baby. Her eyes shifted up to Daryl's for an instant before he was moving closer to the group again, a new purpose in his step and the little girl's hand gripped in his.

"You're having a baby?" Carl called out to his mother, shocked and upset at being left out. Lori's stunned silence, and the look on the rest of the group's face, was all Daryl needed to see to know that when they found out about Stefani it would be even worse.

"Come on, let's make sure you're all right." Dale coaxed Lori out of the group.

Daryl let go of Sophia and gently pushed her in the direction of her friend before he moved any closer to Shane. The group was already beginning to move back towards the house before he gripped the ex-cop and slammed him into the hood of the car. He could hear Andrea and T-Dog rushing back over, but he didn't care.

"She more important than your little sister, your own blood?" Shane pushed the man off of him, but Daryl moved back and landed at punch to his face. T-Dog stepped in before any more damage could be done between the two.

"I'd trust her with Rick even if he was crippled and blind before I'd leave her alone with you." Shane yelled at him from behind Andrea's body. "He knew how to take care of her. You mean nothing to her man, just something to do to pass the time. She'll always love him more than you. It's about time you realize that."

Andrea couldn't stop from staring up at Shane with shock and some disappointment. She glanced back was surprised that T was still able to hold back the angry redneck. A small part of her wanted him to let, if only so Daryl could land one more good punch.

"You don't know a fucking thing about her." Daryl finally said, moving away from T. "You're more concerned about your best friend's wife to care about what's happening to your family. The way I see it, I'd trust her with Rick before I'd leave her with you, at least then I'd know she was taken care of, asshole."

"I'm going after them tomorrow." Shane yelled Daryl's retreating form. "I'm gonna get her back because she's my blood, my responsibility."

"Why don't you go take care of your friend's wife and the baby that ain't even yours?"

The men took the night to cool off. Daryl sat outside his tent until the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, sharpening new arrows just to keep his hands busy. He meant what he had said to Shane: he trusted Rick with Stefani. They had a history and they probably did love each other which meant that he'd bring her back. He would rather have her back here hating him, than dead somewhere else.

Daryl tried to think of something good to say to her. Something that would win her back and make things go back to the way they were only days before, but he knew that was impossible now. They had bigger problems than where they were going to sleep or where their next meal was coming from. He saw the way the group responded when they found out Lori was pregnant. She couldn't be more than a month along, but Stefani was already showing. It would only be a handful of months before they had another mouth to feed and another body to protect.

He'd have his own little family to look after.

He hated how much that actually appealed to him now. Why hadn't he felt that way when she'd told him?

"We're going after them." T-Dog said as he approached Daryl's camp. "I thought I'd let you know. Shane's leaving soon. I get that you two don't get along, but the more muscle we got the better."

They were already silently packing up the car when they heard another approaching in the distance. Everyone came out when they saw the large red vehicle speeding down towards the house. Shane took off after it, Daryl not far behind. Rick was the first one to come out, his family falling into his arms on sight. Sophia was at Stefani's side before the woman was all the way out of the car.

She took the girl into her arms, kissing the top of her head as she cried against her chest. Shane was the next one to grab her attention as he took her face in his hands and checked her over. She was only wearing a thin t-shirt, her usual flannel top missing. Stefani pushed away from him, reassuring him that she was okay. Her eyes fell on Daryl's next as she drew in a deep breath, awaiting the argument that was sure to ensue.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He asked as he moved closer to her, surprising her by taking her into his arms for a tight embrace. He was amazed at the fact that the little bump could be felt between them as he held her body against his.

"I'm sorry, but I'm fine." She said as she pulled away from him. His eyes roamed over her, checking for anything out of place. It was then that he noticed the small traces of drying blood on her hands, arms and some that tainted her shirt. "It's not mine."

"Who the hell is that?" T-Dog asked, which drew Daryl's attention away from the woman in his arms and back to the car.

"That's Randall." Glenn said flatly.

Stefani kept her eyes on Daryl ignoring the rest of the group. She was too exhausted to deal with the falling out. She knew Rick had made a mistake by bringing someone else to their little safe haven, and she knew that almost everyone would agree with her, especially when they found out that he had shot at them. She was finally able to move out of Daryl's grasp, with him distracted by the new addition.

"Hey, wait a minute." He reached out to grab a hold of her left arm.

"I'm just going to get cleaned up. I've got the kid's blood all over me." She slipped through his fingers, feeling his hand catch as her ring brushed against his calloused palm. Her eyes shot up to his, already seeing the questions forming. "You should help them with him. I'm going to shower."

She walked away as quickly as she could. All the way to the house and up the stairs she tried to pull the ring off her finger. The harder she tried the tighter it seemed to become. It was as if the universe was punishing her.


	22. Chapter 22

**I want to say a big thank you to everyone that reviewed/followed/favorite its because of you that I got through this chapter so quickly. Well that, and a walking dead marathon courtesy Netflix. This chapter doesn't follow any episode like the others have, and personally I like it that way, gives me a little more wiggle room to work with the characters. I know that there maybe some slight confusion about Stefani and Rick's past, and I hope this chapter sums everything up. Please keep the reviews coming, they are my crack!**

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Stefani stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Again her eyes were drawn to the bump protruding from her abdomen. She ran her hands through her wet hair as she tried to calm her frayed nerves. It was probably still too early to feel any movement, but she wasn't sure. A nagging in the back of her brain told her that it was time she include other people, at least Hershel so he could tell her if everything was okay. The door knob turned slowly and she scrambled to grab her shirt. She stopped her movements as she saw Daryl slip into the bathroom. He glanced up at her before lowering his gaze back down to his hands.

"You scared the hell out of me." He told her. "Nearly killed the little girl."

"I'm sorry. I just needed to get out of here for a little while. How was I supposed to know some guys would show up and start shooting at us? It was supposed to be an easy run."

"You could've gotten hurt, or hurt the baby." He stepped closer to her, his hand cautiously reaching out for her stomach. "That's half mine, don't I get a say?"

"Is it?" She stepped away, anger seeping into her voice. "The last time I brought it up, I think you said it was Rick's?"

"He can't have all the baby's around her." Daryl looked up to see if she would at least crack a small smile at the sad attempt at a joke. He was only met with a deep sigh.

"Lori told everyone?"

"Shane kinda blurted it out last night when he brought her back." She nodded, as she bit her lip. He hated the fact that the action only made him want to kiss her even more.

"That bruise on his jaw…" she motioned to the same spot on her face.

"He said he was going after you. When he came back with just Lori, we got into it. Said he didn't trust me with you, would rather you be with Rick."

"Probably so he could finally steal Lori." She said, noticing how in the little space the bathroom offered, they both managed to keep a good distance between each other. She moved to lean against the sink, placing her body directly in front of his before she chickened out of what she wanted to tell him.

"We dated, but you already knew that thanks to Shane's big mouth. But what he doesn't know, is that we were engaged." She held up her left hand to show him the ring he'd felt earlier. "I was eighteen and just out of high school and Rick proposed, thinking we could be together forever. All I saw was my life being stuck in King's County, married to a cop, and having little babies to pass the time. That was my mom's life, and I knew she hated it. I didn't want that. So I broke it off and I went to college in Atlanta. The next thing I know, he's marrying Lori and a couple months later Carl showed up."

She looked up at Daryl finally, wondering what he was thinking now that she'd explained most of her history with their fearless leader. He took the few steps that were separating them, and stood between her legs. He took her hand in his too inspect the jewelry on her finger.

"Why do you still have it?"

"Nostalgia? I wasn't ready to get married at eighteen, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have still married him later on. I loved him. He was my first…everything. There's always been a small part of me that thought we were always meant to be together. I guess it's a Walsh family curse, to love those we can't have." He nodded slowly as he kept looking down at her hand.

"Remember the CDC, when you said this was just sex…"

"You said you weren't good at the other stuff." She smiled softly as she looked up at him. "You were jealous that night weren't you?"

"I'm jealous every time I see you with him. I ain't never been jealous in my life, but you're mine now. Always have been." He finally met her eyes, hating the way she could make him feel so insecure one moment and completely emboldened the next. "Get that damn thing off your finger."

"I can't." She said weakly, letting a small laugh escape her lips. "It's stuck, I tried soap in the shower, but it didn't budge."

Daryl looked down at the offending jewelry, gripping her hand in his larger one. He ran his thumb over the small set diamond. Stefani kept her eyes on his face, but Daryl made sure to keep any emotion off of it. The last thing he wanted was for her to know how much it affected him, seeing some other man's ring on her finger. Pushing it up as gently as he could, only to have it catch on her knuckle.

"I'm gonna see if Hershel has anything that could help. I want him to check on the baby. I figure he should know at least."

"Nobody else does?" He asked, his eyes on her stomach as he hands slipped from her.

"I told Sophia, and Patricia, she kinda figured it out in the beginning." Stefani's head fell, traveling to where his hands hung between them, too nervous to reach out and touch her. "Everyone is going to freak out when we tell them, especially with Lori being pregnant too. This is going to be really hard, with two babies."

"It's gonna be hard either way." He said as he took a step away from her.

"We can do this, Daryl. Even if it's just you and me, we can raise this baby. He'll have a fighting chance." Stefani reached out and took his hands, placing him over her bump. It had always felt so large until it was covered by one of his calloused hands. "Please don't make me do this on my own. And don't try to reason that I have Shane or Rick, because they're not you. They won't take care of me, of this baby, like you will."

"Hunting, surviving, that I can do. I ain't a father." He sighed, trying to move away from her. Stefani kept her hands over his.

"Sophia loves you. That's good enough for me. The rest we can just make up. If Hershel lets us stay here, which I think he will, we can make this work. In a few months we really won't have an option." She pulled him closer, lightly ghosting her lips over his. "I've missed you. Nothing's been the same since we left the camp."

Daryl, leaving one hand on her belly and the other coming up to bring her lips to his, sighed into their kiss. It had felt like years since he had tasted her. Stefani smiled against his lips as her hands wound around his neck. She nipped at his lower lip, before edging her tongue into his mouth. He agreed with her, he had missed this. He had missed how playful she could be and how easy it was just for the two of them to melt against each other.

"You're mine, my best friend." He said as he pulled away from her slightly. "I'm gonna protect you, both of you."

They were pulled apart when they heard yelling coming from downstairs. Daryl stepped away from her, moving to the door. Stefani pushed away from the sink, pulling at the ring again. She nodded for him to go as she turned to run a brush though her hair before leaving the room. She took in some calming breaths while she listened to the commotion downstairs. It wasn't until she heard the doors slam did she move out of the bathroom, at least then she knew most of the people were out of the house.

She found Hershel sitting with his youngest daughter. Standing in the doorway, her heart went out to him. "I hate to ask you for anything," she said moving into the room. "After what you did in town, you're too good for this group. I feel like we've done nothing up mess up everything you had. I'm sorry for that."

"You want me to check the baby?" He asked calmly, nodding to the edge of the bed. Stefani moved into the room to sit.

"How did you know?"

"I'm not that old, dear. I still have pretty observant eyes, and I saw the way you were carrying yourself out there, cradling your stomach. Do you know how far along?"

"Best guess, maybe two months, or closer to three. I'm not too sure when..." She pulled up her top just enough for him to see the bump. He told her to lay back, careful of Beth's body. He felt around her middle before pulling out a stethoscope. "Can you hear a heartbeat?"

Instead of answering, Hershel passed the device to her keeping the small metal plate on her stomach. Her eyes went wide as she heard the faint thump-thump of her baby's heart. "It'll get a little louder when its bigger, but for now that's all I can do other than monitor you. I have an extra pair if you want to take them, show that little girl or the father."

"Thank you, and I hope she gets better soon." Stefani said as she gave Beth's hand a squeeze before placing a chaste kiss on the older man's temple.

As much as she wanted to run straight to Daryl, she chose to spend some time on her own first. She was sitting on the dock, her feet dangled in the cool water as she attempted to remove the ring once more. It seemed like no matter what she did, it just didn't want to come off.

"Everything alright?" Rick's voice drifted over to her. She quickly turned to see him approaching her, sliding down to sit beside her. "You're still mad at me."

"I'm not mad. The others are mad, Shane is furious, but I'm not. Disappointed, maybe, but I know that you were just doing what you thought was right."

"What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"Thinking, I guess, and trying to get this damn thing off." She flashed him her hand. "It doesn't exactly give the right idea to certain people."

He reached out for her hand, delicately running his hand over the ring before looking back up at her. Stefani's eyes stayed glued to their tangled fingers. "Lori and I were having problems."

"Don't. I told you before, Rick. Please don't bring me into this, especially now that she'd pregnant." She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tight.

"Hear me out. I called you because I wanted to see you, on that day specifically. I always loved you, Stefani. Lori and I were probably a mistake back then. I would have left her for you."

"I know." She said suppressing a sob. "And I would have said yes. I kept this because I thought one day we would go back to the way things were. But that's over now, Rick. That was another life, one we can't get back."

"Do you love him?"

"God, I wish people would stop asking me that. I don't know. Not like I did with you. All I know is that he's in my corner now, I trust him with my life. And I have this little girl to take care of now and she's completely in awe of him. I can see myself loving him, in time I might even love him more than you."

"It was nice, pretending." Rick said as he looked down at the ring on her finger. "I hate to think that I would be more excited if you really were pregnant and mine."

"Well I'm not yours, Rick. I haven't been for a long time." She pulled out of his grasp and tried again to yank the ring off her finger.

This time Rick reached across her, taking her hand back. He lifted it closer, looking into her eyes the entire time, he took her finger into his mouth. Stefani's eyes fluttered shut as she felt his teeth grip the metal and slowly work it over her knuckle. She tried to avoid his gaze as he slipped the ring out from between his teeth.

"Here, it's still yours." He said drawing her attention back to him. "When I gave this to you…"

"We were young and in over our heads. You were doing what you thought was right, I can't blame you for that."

Stefani stood up, leaving him with the last piece of their relationship. The stethoscope was still tucked into the back pocket of her jeans, and she knew exactly who she needed to see next. After all of the drama going on around the group, she had neglected to visit with the one person who was always there to make her smile.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"Do you wanna tell me why you thought it was a smart idea to take Stefani with you to a town you knew was crawling with walkers?" Daryl said as he came up behind Rick.

"It was her choice. Fani's never been one to take orders well." Rick explained as he stood up. There was something about Daryl's posture that told him the red neck was taking every ounce of self control not to explode right there. It was a surprising change. "She can take care of herself."

"I know," he lowered his gaze catching a glimpse of the ring in Rick's hands. "She put that on for ole' time's sake, you two thought it would be fun to play 'what if' while away from the wife?"

Rick watched the man in front of him. He wasn't sure how much of the story Daryl knew, and he definitely didn't want to be the one to explain it all. The way Daryl was staring down at him now, it was obvious there was some kind of jealousy hidden, but there was also hurt. Rick was surprised how much the red neck had changed since their first meeting and he knew that it was mostly because of the Walsh woman.

"The guys at the bar, they were getting a little too friendly. I didn't even know she still had it, let alone on her, but Stefani slipped it on her finger and told some lie about us being together, her being pregnant so they wouldn't force her to drink with us. It was a good lie. She's a smart woman. You should be proud of her. I know I am."

"You care about her don't you?" Daryl said, finding some new footing. Rick nodded cautiously. "You have a family, a son. There are children here and you still thought it would be a good idea to being that kid back here."

"We talked about this already." Rick immediately went on the defensive, and he was thankful too given the aggressive step forward Daryl took.

"No I listened. Hell, Hershel doesn't even seem to want the guy here. You're best friend doesn't even have your back in this one, Rick. I don't know why you thought it would be a good idea. Now we used medical supplies, ones we need. We're gonna send him off with a care package with food and water that we don't have to give. The way I see it, you made the wrong call, again." Daryl said, finally moving away from the leader.

"And what about you Daryl? What are you looking after? I saw where you moved your camp, a good distance away from anyone that could possibly need your help. If you don't agree with my decisions, why are you still here?"

For a moment, the two stared each other down. Daryl wasn't challenging him like Shane had been hours before. He was just concerned, he didn't want to lead the group. Unlike Shane, Daryl just wanted to make sure the calls Rick made weren't going to put the people he cared about in harm's way.

"I'm looking after that little girl, and Stefani. She's not going to say anything against you or her brother, she trusts you to make the right decisions for her."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that anymore." Rick looked down at the ring still held between his fingers. He took a few steps towards the edge of the dock before throwing it out into the lake. Taking in a deep breath he relaxed for a moment. "She's all yours, make sure you don't fuck it up, Dixon."

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

It had taken Daryl a few hours to work everything out in his head. Roaming the woods and bringing back a few squirrels didn't seem to help any. It was close to night fall when he finally walked into the RV to see if Stefani was in there with Sophia. Dale was on the roof, rifle in hand. The two men nodded in acknowledgment but didn't utter a word to each other. Carefully pushing the door open, he stepped in to find the small living area nearly deathly silent.

Sophia's curls could be seen from the back, and as he stepped closer Stefani came into view. She smiled up at him from the small bed she was laying on as Sophia hovered at her side. Pressing a finger to her lips, Stefani motioned to Sophia's ears. That was when he saw the stethoscope attached to the small girl, the round metal piece pressed flat against Stefani's bare stomach. It looked as though Sophia was tapping out whatever she heard against the side of the swollen middle section.

For a moment, Daryl was at a loss for words. No, a loss of thought. Standing there, before those two beautiful women, he couldn't form a single thought. There were no voices in the back of his head telling him how much he didn't deserve them, or how he was going to fuck it up somehow. All traces of his past were gone and now all he could see was the future he had in front of him. A woman that would love him and fight for him, and a girl that may not be his daughter but was the closest thing he had, at least until that baby was born.

"Hey, sweetie, can you give me and Daryl a minute? Why don't you go talk to Carl for a little while before bed?" Stefani smiled sweetly at the girl as her hand brushed stray curls hair out of her face. Sophia nodded, placing the medical utensil on the bed and heading towards Daryl.

She didn't say anything, but she did pause and wrap her arms around his middle for a quick hug. He surprised them all when he bent down to give he a squeeze in return. Whispering a 'be safe' and a feather light brush of his lips to her head before releasing her. He waited until she closed the door before he made to move any closer to Stefani.

The brunette woman hadn't moved from her spot. Her messy curls were spread out across the pillow, her shirt tucked up under her breasts to show off her slightly swollen middle. The way her eyes seemed to shine as she smiled at him, made his chest ache. In that moment he knew that she cared about him, maybe even loved him, because never before had he ever had someone look that happy just from his presence alone.

"Well, are you just going to stand there?" The playful smirk on her lips reminded him of the first time he'd laid eyes on her.

"What the hell were you two doing?" He finally found his voice, seeing the slight amusement in her face at the unsteady sound.

"Hershel gave it to me." She said holding up the stethoscope. "Sit, I'll show you."

When he took a seat beside her, Stefani sat up and slipped the ear pieces on. She scooted as close to him as she could get, and pressed the cold metal to her stomach. She tried to put it in the same spot as before, but she wasn't sure if it was right. Watching his face closely, she waited until she saw a reaction. A smile broke out across her lips as she saw his eyes widen. Satisfied, she laid back again to stare at him from a better angle. Daryl reached out a hand, slowly rubbing his calloused hands over her smooth stomach. She had always been so soft under his touch, it was strange to feel the hard shell under her skin now.

"It's weird, huh? I didn't think we'd really get to see or hear it until it was born." Stefani reached up, weaving her fingers through his. "That's your baby."

Daryl's eyes finally left their hands and travelled up the rest of her body. He paused for a second on her lips, the bottom one securely pinched between her teeth to hold back her smile, before he met her dark eyes. He pulled the stethoscope from her hands and threw it to the opposite bed. His eyes never left hers as she bent down to place his lips beside their hands, over the warmth that came off her stomach.

Stefani's hands lifted up, tangling in his hair. She ran her nails over his scalp and felt him moan against her skin. He traveled back up her body, kissing the top of her breasts before the length of her neck. All the while, Stefani made sure to hold on to him, not wanting him to stop. His lips finally came down on hers, taking her bottom lip between his teeth, imitating her actions from earlier. Stefani pulled him closer, shifting so that he fell between her legs more comfortably. His lips moving over hers melted everything from the last few days away. It was softer and passionate, something that neither of them had shared with each other.

Daryl finally pulled back, reaching up and pushing her hair out of her face. Her fingers fell to his neck, keeping him close to her. His forehead fell against hers, their breath mingling together. He could feel her heart beating against his chest, and he wondered if the baby's would be just as quick, all three of them synching up together. The idea of having a family, of belonging somewhere had never hit him as strongly as it did with that one thought. Staring down at her, with swollen rosy lips in a smirk and a twinkle in her eyes he knew she had to feel the same way.

"I love you."


	23. Chapter 23

"_I love you."_

Stefani looked up and instantly regretted the words. As she was staring up at Daryl, the softness in his touch and the gentle press of his lips, she couldn't stop those three words from slipping out of her mouth. Now she felt rather than saw his hesitation. Her mouth opened again, but she couldn't think of some witty remark to break the gravity that had just settled over them. As if noticing her discomfort, Daryl gave her a rarely seen smile. It put her to ease immediately.

Again his mouth descended on hers. She moaned as his tongue slipped against hers. She moved her hands from his neck and ran them down his back, they slipped underneath the hem of his shirt and she raked her nails along his sides. She felt him shutter on top of her. The moan that left her lips was even surprising to her. It had been too long since they had been together intimately, and she hated thinking about the last time they were together this closely.

With a frustrated groan, Stefani pushed against his stomach. For a second her fingers flexed against the muscles there, wishing to feel them over her body once again.

"Daryl, we can't do this. Not here." Her voice came out breathy. "Dale's literal sitting on top of us, and Sophia will be in here any minute."

He pushed off of her, hating how heavy his body felt as he moved away. Stefani slid up and sat against the wall, her hand reached out and ran down his back. Again she felt her lips break into a smile. It was a strange sensation, smiling from nothing but the mere presence of someone. She slid behind him, kissing his neck as she wrapped her arms around his chest. He reached a hand up and squeezed her fingers.

"What you said earlier…" He began, trying to ignore the feeling of her lips on his skin.

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know, felt you needed to know after everything that happened recently. I swear to you, on this unborn baby's life, that I don't love Rick. Not like I used to. He's like a brother, one that's better than my real one at the moment. You're the one I'd die for."

Daryl turned his head, capturing her lips. "You won't be dying on my watch. I'd kill for you. You, the baby, and that little girl out there. I never had a real family, but I'm gonna try to do right by you."

"You do just fine. No one's perfect and we're gonna disagree on occasion, but I want you to know that no matter what, those three words will always be true. I love you." She brought his lips to hers again.

"Can I come back in now?" Sophia's voice rang out from the cracked door. Stefani let a laugh escape her lips as Daryl gave her a few more chaste kisses, his own smile on his lips.

"Get in here. Isn't it passed your bed time?" Daryl called out as Sophia poked her head around the counter.

"You two make out too much. It's kind of gross." Sophia tried to hide her smile as she laid down on the other bed.

Stefani slipped off of the bed, moving over to kneel beside Sophia. "One day honey, we'll talk about how much fun kissing is." Stefani ran a hand through the girl's hair before kissing her forehead.

"One day when you're sixty." Daryl said from across the room. "You don't need to worry about it until then."

Both of the girls sent him a smile before falling back on the beds. Stefani moved against Daryl's back, taking his hand as he wrapped his arms around her. She smiled at Sophia, watching as the little girl turned and closed her eyes. Daryl's breathing evened out behind her as one of his hands moved down to cover their baby. It was the first night in a long time that she slept peacefully.

Stefani woke up still held against Daryl's chest. It was the first night they'd spend together in too long. She glanced over to the other bed to see where Sophia would have been laying. Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the man beside her. If for a moment she was having second thoughts about her admission the night before, there was no denying it now.

Carefully she ran her fingers along his cheeks and down to his jaw. He looked so peaceful while sleeping, like there was no weight on his shoulders for the first time in his life. She hated to think how hard things were going to get within a few months, but she wanted to hold on to this blissful ease that seemed to fall over them.

She leaned up, glancing out the window to see that everyone was up and starting their morning chores. A part of her wanted to go out and eat, but the pull she stay wrapped in his warm arms was more appealing. Coming back down onto the bed, Stefani shifted a little so that he body fell on top of his. Still being cautious of his healing side, she let her weight fall on him as her lips attached the hollow of this throat. Working her way across his collarbone and up the side of his neck, Stefani gently nipped at his pulse point before licking the reddening skin. The low rumble in his chest vibrated against her chest as he slowly came out of sleep.

With a wicked smile, Stefani moved further on top of him and slid down to his hips. She pressed her body down on his, already feeling his morning wood hardening against her. It surprised her how ready she was for him. If she could get a little more friction, she could probably finish herself off before he even woke up.

"Baby, I need you inside me." She whispered against his ear, pressing her lips to the shell. To emphasize her point, she rolled her hips against his not able to hold the moan in at the sensation. "Please Dixon, or I'm gonna start without you."

She felt his chest rise and fall quicker, but she could tell that he was still trying to fight waking. Her shirt came over her head before she moved her hands between them to unbutton his shirt. Once she had his chest exposed, she moved down kissing a trail down his torso. She popped the button on his pants and felt him lift his hips for her as she moved the material down. A smile graced her lips as she glanced up to meet his still sleepy eyes only just now giving way to desire.

Stefani licked her lips before taking him into her hands. Making sure his eyes were still on her, she bent down and kissed the tip before running her tongue along his shaft. His head fell back at the sensation. She could feel his stifled moan against the palm she ran up his chest as her mouth continued its slow torture. She could tell that he was getting close, and the slight tug of her hair made her pull away and stare up at him.

Daryl pulled her against him, flipping their position so that she was now underneath him. All the sleep had left his body and he was practically vibrating with his need for her.

"Are you sure about this?" She raised an eyebrow, looking at him as if he lost his mind.

"I've never been more sure about anything."

"But the baby, we…we won't hurt it right? I mean, if I…"

"No, you won't hurt it. Believe me, this baby is probably a big reason why I am so horny right now and I need you to take advantage of that. Man up, Dixon." She smirked as her hands ran through his hair.

With a short laugh, his lips fell over hers and his hands went to work on her pants. She lifted up in order to get the material off of her legs. Moaning into his mouth, she ran her tongue along his as she moved her hips up to meet his.

"Earlier, say it again." He said as his lips hovered over hers, and his body lining up to at her entrance.

"I need you in me." He let out a low growl and kissed her, but didn't move any further.

"Not that."

"I love you." Her eyes connected with his, her hands coming up on both sides of his face. "I'm in love with you. And I don't see that changing for a while." She leaned up and kissed him deeply. "Unless you don't fuck me before I have this baby."

She bit back a loud moan as she felt him slide into her with one hard thrust. Her head fell back into the mattress as his movements rocked her body. Nails raking down his back, Stefani reached up in order to kiss him again as she moaned into his mouth. She could already feel the heat flooding in her abdomen, the tightening between her thighs. She wasn't going to last much longer, and by the way his hips were pumping into hers, he wouldn't last much longer either. She went over the edge with more force than she'd ever remembered having before. Daryl followed her shortly after, collapsing on top of her breathless.

"Wow," Stefani sighed, as her hands smoothed out his hair. "Now I'm starving."

She felt him laugh, shaking against her body. The smile on his face when he looked up at her made her heart stop for a second. She couldn't believe how lucky she'd gotten, finding a guy like him in the shit world they lived in. He leaned down and took her mouth again, lazily rolling his tongue along hers.

"Come on, let's see if there's any food left for you and the baby."

They got dressed silently, stealing glances at each other. Stefani couldn't help the grin that split her face. When he was fully dressed and picking up the crossbow he'd laid on the table the night before, she finally got up to join him.

"I was thinking we should probably keep the baby a secret for a little while longer. Let this Randall shit cool down, and everything with Lori."

"Hell, we can keep it a secret til you pop the thing out if you want." Daryl said moving back to her. "I don't care what they think. I'm gonna take care of you." He kissed her again before moving to the door, Stefani came up behind him and slipped her hand into his. If it surprised him, he didn't show it. Instead he gave her a small smirk before pulling her out to face the group.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

It had been one week. A week since they had brought the kid back to the farm, and a week since she'd finally mended things with Daryl. If she listened to her gut, than maybe she would have realized things were going just a bit too smoothly. Everyone was still slightly on edge about the guy in the shed, but Rick and Shane were already planning on sending him on his way in a few more days.

Stefani sat with Sophia, painting her nails with some old polish she found in a bag. She was glad to see that the little girl was smiling again, everyday there was a little less sadness in her eyes. Daryl walked by, placing a quick kiss on Stefani's lips before ruffling up Sophia's hair.

"Isn't there something better you two could be doing?" He asked as he took a seat across from them.

"I'm waiting for the laundry to dry before folding it, smart ass. Until then we're enjoying the sun, and some down time. Everybody should get a few minutes to relax." Stefani winked at him.

"I'm going hunting, be back before dark." He said as he stood up. Sophia smiled up at him as he moved back around the table. He leaned down to capture Stefani's lips for a heated kiss while running his hand over her stomach. "You watch out for her while I'm gone. She tends to run off nowadays." He winked at Sophia as the girl nodded. Stefani reached out and smacked his ass as he walked away.

"Hey, you be careful out there. Don't fall down anymore hills." He gave her a short nod before walking off. Stefani glanced at Sophia with a smile on her face, laughing when she saw the knowing look from the little girl. Her eyes dropped down to where her hand rubbed her stomach. "God help me, I love that man too much."

"Do you now?" Shane's voice made both the girl jump. Sophia tried to muster another smile as she slipped away and ran to find Carl. "You love him?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Stefani asked as he brother sat down on the bench beside her. She swallowed at the discomfort in her stomach, hoping it was a wave a nausea she could suppress. "I haven't seen you around much lately."

"Been busy, there's a lot going on. I don't have a lot of time to be playing house." Shane said as he ran a hand over his shaved head.

"I don't want to fight, if that's why you're here. It's better when we're not together, there's less arguing. I can pretend things are back to the way they were." Stefani tried to keep her eyes from tearing up. "I've missed that."

"I'm right here, Fani. All you gotta do is be with me. Have my back when things get tough."

"You mean go against Rick?" She rolled her eyes, pulling her hair back in frustration.

"He's been wrong, Stefani. You know he's not perfect."

"Neither are you. Shane, you have this war going on and I'm not even a part of it. You left me." She said as she stood up. Leaning down over his shoulder, she tried not to reach out and strangle him. "Remember that when I'm gone. You left me."

Stefani walked away, smiling when she reached Sophia and Carl. The children were playing cards, and she tried to focus on their game and not the brother that was slowly slipping from her fingers. She knew that eventually she was going to really lose him, but she had to hold on to the new family she had. She felt safer with Daryl. Shane hadn't been there to protect her for too long.

"Stef, can we go to the lake? Maybe walk around the woods?" Carl asked pulling the woman's attention back to them. Sophia gave her a hopeful smile.

"I'll ask your mom, and go with you. You two shouldn't be running around alone."

When she glanced back at Shane he was getting into the car with Rick, Randal tied up in the back. She hoped they made it back safely, but she also prayed Shane didn't do anything stupid. No matter how many times he let her down, he was still her blood. There wasn't much she could do to change her mind, but she could at least hope he made the right choices.

"I'm heading up to the house, stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes." Stefani kissed both their heads earning a yuck from Carl and a giggle from Sophia.

It was a clear warning when she heard the shouts coming from inside the farm house that Stefani shouldn't go in. Carl and Sophia wanted to get out of the camp for a little while and being the responsible adult, Stefani wanted to ask Lori before taking off with her son. She slipped in the front door hearing the shouts coming from the Greene girls. Moving further into the house, she found Lori and Andrea in the kitchen. Andrea passed her with an air of annoyance. Stefani reached out to squeeze her arm before moving into the kitchen and taking the blonde's spot against the stove.

"Sounds like I missed something." She said getting Lori's attention. "What's going on?"

"Beth, she took a knife earlier. Maggie's in with her now trying to talk her out of it." Lori explained as she moved back to the sink. "She's just feeling lost."

"I think we've all been there one time or another. The girl just lost her mother all over again. I'm sure she just needs some time." Stefani said as she moved over and took a few slices of cucumber from the plate next to Lori.

"You've been in pretty good spirits lately." Lori observed. Stefani tried to ignore the slight bite in her words.

"Things haven't been so bad. Sophie's finally feeling better, which is why I came in here. Her and Carl wanted to head out for a little while. I said I'd ask you before taking them out to the lake for a little while."

"I could really use your help around here." Lori said as she bit into another slice of cucumber. "There's a lot of laundry that needs to be done, and dinner will be in a few hours if Daryl comes back with some meat."

"We did laundry this morning, and even though I know Daryl will be back with something to eat, we still have plenty to feed everyone. Those kids need some time to just play and be kids for once. It's been nothing but death and chores for too long."

"There are things that need to be done around here. There's no time to play anymore."

"Their kids, Lori. You're about to have another one, do you really want it growing up in a world where no one's happy? I contribute to the group, but I also find some time to be happy too." Lori scoffed at her admission. "Just because you're in an unhappy marriage doesn't mean you have to take it out on everyone else."

"You don't know a damn thing about my marriage."

"I know more than you think." Stefani said as she pushed off the counter. "Don't forget that I've known you and Rick for years. I can tell when things aren't right between you two. I'm betting it has something to do with the fact that you have no idea whose baby you're carrying."

"And what about you? Running off with Rick one minute than falling back into Dixon's arms later."

"I love Daryl. Sorry you don't know what being in love looks like anymore, but that's what we have. Rick is a friend, brother. Daryl knows how I feel and where I stand with Rick. I don't need you or Shane walking around here filling people's heads with thoughts that aren't true."

"Shane's looking out for you. He's always been trying to protect you."

"Protect you, Lori. He puts you and Carl above the group and I can see the justification in that, but that was before Rick came back. Now they both worry about the group and I'm at the bottom of the pole. Daryl looks after me and Sophia. I gave up on Shane a long time ago." She moved to the back door, opening it just enough to feel the afternoon breeze come through and calm the sweat that was breaking out over her skin. "I'm taking the kids out for the afternoon. I'll be back in time to help with dinner."


	24. Chapter 24

**First off I want to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the chapters that went off from the original episodes. Now I have to put in a slight warning: this is a heavy chapter, at least it was for me writing it. I want everyone to know going in that it was really hard to write this especially after the last few chapters. When I started this, I knew that this is where I wanted the story to go and debated a lot about whether I was going to follow through with it. Even though it kills me, it works with where I want the story to go in the long run.**

* * *

Stefani followed behind the kids. She was happy to see both of them smiling for once. It felt like it had been too long since they had some fun. There were so many adults around that it was sometimes overlooked that they still had children with them. Sophia and Carl deserved to have a few moments as the carefree children they once were.

"Come on, Stef." Carl called as they ran back towards the camp, still dripping from their swim in the lake. The older woman jogged ahead a little to catch up, only to slow down with a wince.

"Go on, I'll catch up. Just stay where I can see you." She called out to them as she went back to her slow pace.

It had been a few hours, but she felt the pinch in her gut again. She wasn't sure if it was from hunger, dehydration, or maybe just overexertion, but something wasn't right. Taking in a steadying breath, she continued to follow the children back home. When she got there, she'd go talk to Hershel. Carl and Sophia were already moving closer to the tents when a sharp pain shot through Stefani's abdomen. She bit her lip to stop from crying out. The taste of blood in her mouth made her gag and she doubled over in pain and to expel the food she'd eaten earlier in the day.

"Stefani?" Carl yelled when he noticed she wasn't following any longer. Sophia came up beside him, taking his arm in a tight grip as she saw the woman.

"Stefani, are you okay." She called out, worry lacing her tone.

Stefani tried to right herself, but the pain was too much. She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach. She could hear Carl and Sophia calling out to her, moving closer, but she could only think about the pain.

"Go get Hershel and Patricia. Hurry." She told them through clenched teeth. It was all she could do not to cry out. Tears rolled down her eyes, as she slipped onto the ground curling herself into the fetal position.

She hoped Daryl was back, that's who she really needed. It was obvious that something was wrong and she wanted Daryl there when she got the news. Her heart was pounding in her throat as she tried to focus on anything but the blinding pain shooting up from her abdomen. Breathing deeply, she felt a darkness sweep over her. The heat of the sun warmed her skin and she let the numbness take over.

She wasn't sure how she got into the house, or what Hershel was doing between her legs, but she knew it was nothing good. As she finally felt the rest of her body wake with her mind, she realized what had woken her: screams. Her own screams had jolted her mind out of the blissful numbness. With full force the pain returned.

"What's wrong?" She tried to get out through clenched teeth as she felt Patricia sit down behind her, taking her shoulders into her hands.

"Just relax sweetheart. It'll be over soon." The older blonde shared a look with Hershel, who hadn't looked Stefani in the eyes when he raised his head. Stefani whimpered as she reached up the clutch Patricia's arms. Tears rolled down her face until the welcome blackness came back again.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Carl sat on the porch trying to comfort Sophia as she cried into her hands. Daryl ran over, slowing down when his eyes landed on the girl. The others had said it was dehydration or a stomach bug, when he asked where Stefani was. Looking down at the little girl in tears, told him a whole other story. It took her a minute, but the second she realized he was there, she was running for his arms. He lifted her against his chest, feeling her tears soak through his shirt in seconds.

Carl stood and walked away with a sad smile. Sophia continued to sob in Daryl's arms as he set them down on the porch steps. His body was telling him to find Stefani, but Sophia needed him now. As soon as her sobs turned into shallow hiccups, Daryl pulled her away just enough to look at her face.

"It's my fault. You told me to look after her. I'm sorry." A fresh wave of tears fell from her face.

"Hey, shhh…" he pulled her back into his chest. Clenching his jaw as he thought about what could have possibly happened in the short hours he'd been gone. "Sophie, listen to me. I'm not mad at you. It's not your fault. Stefani is a big girl. Tell me what happened, please."

"I don't know. She was fine and then all of a sudden she was on the ground. They kicked us out of the house when they took her into the room. She woke up for a little while. I heard her screaming."

He let the girl fall back into his arms, squeezing her tightly. It was strange that his body just seemed to know what to do with her. The way he cradled her in his arms and gently began to rock hadn't even registered to him until he felt her relax and slowly drift off to sleep against him. The sun was beginning to fall behind the trees and he kept glancing back at the house, hoping someone inside would tell him what was happening.

"She's awake." Patricia said softly as she stepped through the door. The sadness in her eyes didn't help the pit forming in his stomach. "Hershel fixed her up as best he could. She didn't want anyone to know so we didn't do a transfusion. She may still need one, but we'll know in a few days. He has her hooked up to an IV, but she'll need to eat something soon. Other than that, she's just going to have to heal on her own. It's not going to be easy…emotionally."

"The ba…" Daryl had to stop to clear the lump in his throat. He already knew the answer, but he had to be sure. "The baby, it didn't make it?"

"I'm sorry. Sometimes these things just happen. Her body wasn't ready for the stress. You should probably go see her. I'll stay with Sophia." Patricia reached out for the girl's hand as Daryl stood. He leaned down to kiss her head before he moved into the house.

Opening the door, he was accosted with the smell of cleaning supplies. On the bed there was a bundle on the far edge, that he could only assume was Stefani because no part of her was visible. As he let the door close behind him, her head turned towards him. He could tell she was exhausted. Her face looked gaunt, eyes sunken in and red. His heart broke looking down at her. He felt a stinging behind his eyes as he slid into the bed beside her.

Stefani turned away, not falling into his touch like she had so many times before. Instead she stayed swaddled in the blankets, making sure there were plenty of barriers between them. She didn't say anything, or look at him again. They lay together, both trying to digest what had just happened to their blissful world.

He watched as the sun went down and the outside world fell into darkness. He wanted to reach out for her, but he didn't know where to begin. There was nothing he could say, or do, that would fix this. He was surprised by how much he was hurting as well. He'd gone out this morning, foolishly thinking that one day he could have a little boy to teach how to hunt, or a little girl that would hug him before he left.

The idea of losing something that never really existed was foreign to him. But on the other hand, there had been something. He'd heard it. The little life growing inside of her was there, and now it wasn't. Glancing to his side, he saw that the sheets were shaking slightly. The need to comfort her was there, but he knew there was nothing he could do to make her feel better. He'd never been good at consoling, and with something as bad as this, he felt even more inadequate.

Stefani felt the shift in the mattress as he got off the bed. A small part of her was glad that he was leaving. It was easier without anyone watching her. She could let out the strangled sobs that were choking her. She was still trying to process exactly what had happened. One minute she'd had everything and the next it was all being ripped away from her. There was a nagging part of her brain that was telling her why this was happening, but at the moment she didn't want to listen to it.

"I'm going to get something to eat," his voice was hoarse from not being used for so long. Again her eyes drifted over the blankets to watch him slip through the door.

The second the latch clicked, she let out a shuttering sob. Daryl fought the urge to barge back into the room and take her into his arms. Patricia had said she needed time. He was beginning to think that he did too. Suddenly he couldn't help but think of her as empty. This wasn't like before, he couldn't track her down or kill the person that hurt him. It was irrational, but he needed someone, something to blame and for some reason his brain wouldn't let go of the woman in the bed.

When he came back into the room, Stefani was sitting with her back against the headboard. She reached up and swiped at the dry tears under her dark eyes. The reflection in the window terrified her, but she was still too fragile to care. She swallowed another wave of cries as he slipped in beside her, hesitantly taking her hand in his.

"I lied to you. I've been lying to everyone for so long, I was starting to believe it myself." Her voice sounded painful, and he fought the flinch it caused. He didn't turn to look at her, instead keeping his gaze on the dark window. "You didn't say it back, why?" She turned to him then, studying his face. Tears beginning to fall down her face again.

"I couldn't say it, Stefani."

"Maybe I shouldn't have either." Her hand pulled away from his and shakily fell on her stomach. He glanced at her, horrified that it was still slightly rounded. "This is all my fault."

"Hey…"

"I swore on our unborn child. What kind of person does that?"

"What did you lie about, Stefani?" He felt like someone was ripping his heart out through his chest.

"I was pregnant…before." She raised her hands to her face to rub her eyes furiously. "That's why he proposed. We didn't tell anyone and I was too young to really know what I was doing. But I knew that I couldn't be a wife, a mother, not then. I told him I lost it and we broke off the engagement. I never told anyone that I'd gone to Atlanta to take care of it. I killed a baby I didn't want, and now I have to pay for that. I have to pay for all the pain I'd caused someone I loved."

Daryl turned to see the glistening tears falling down her face, the tension in her jaw to keep from sobbing. He wanted to scream, hit something, let his anger out anyway he could, but right now he stayed. It wasn't easy to hear about her past, to hear all the things she'd had with Rick. A little piece of him knew that given the chance she would probably run back to him, but right now he had to believe that she really was over whatever him.

He wasn't strong enough to admit that he couldn't say the words she desperately needed to hear because he didn't want her to have that kind of power over him. She could break his heart so easily and he wanted to keep some semblance of power in the relationship. He almost longed for the time when they were nothing but friends that occasionally hooked up, at least then he could walk away without worrying about being left. The pain in his chest was just a reminder as to why he liked being detached. It was easier seeing people die when you knew how to live without them.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Lori glanced over to where Sophia was sleeping fitfully on the RV bed. Carl had refused to leave her side, and was pressed against the side of the vehicle wall as the little blonde tried to fight her nightmare. Lori wasn't sure what had happened that afternoon, but it had scared both the children. She was in the house when Stefani had been brought in, and then pushed out as Hershel took her into the room Carl had been in when he was recovering.

Rick and Shane had come back close to sundown, both looking as though the trip had nearly killed them. She was thankful that most of the wounds were superficial. They were cleaned up without the assistance of Hershel's family. She had told them about Stefani, giving them the same vague description of her stomach bug that Hershel had given to her. Shane had seemed worried, but not enough to rush to her side especially after hearing that Daryl was in with her.

No one had seen the two for hours, and if Lori hadn't been up watching the children she probably wouldn't have seen him sneak out of the house for a few minutes before going back. She was still surprised by how different the man had become just by being with Stefani. He'd calmed down and taken a bigger role in the group.

"Lori?" Sophia's voice called out as the little girl carefully took a seat on the opposite bed. "Can I go see Stefani, please?"

"Honey, I don't think that's such a good idea right now. She'd sick, we don't want you getting the same thing." Lori told her as she tried to comfort her by brushing her hair back like she'd seen Stefani do countless times.

"But she'd not. Please, I have to tell her that I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?"

"She lost it. The baby. Its my fault." The girl said through a fresh wave of sobs. Lori took her into her arms as she tried to understand what Sophia was talking about.

"Sophia, what baby?"

"She was going to have a baby. I was supposed to look after her. Daryl asked me to."

Lori held her until she settled down, finally falling asleep. It wasn't until dawn that Sophia woke again asking to see Stefani. This time Lori took her to the house. The two entered quietly, moving to the room Patricia had motioned to. Sophia stepped in and immediately fell into the bed beside Stefani. Lori watched from the door as the woman took the girl into her arms and began to whisper to her. Giving them some privacy, she closed the door and headed back to the front door.

She saw Daryl heading into the wood with his crossbow slung over his shoulder. There was something different in the way he was carrying himself. She still wasn't sure if what Sophia had said was true, but there was more going on with Daryl and Stefani than either of them let the group know. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand fall on the small of her back.

"How is she?" Rick asked, glancing in the direction his wife had been staring. "Is everything okay?"

"Fine, she'll be fine." He could tell the smile she gave him was fake, but he was too weary to push for answers.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"Sophia, I need you to listen to me." Stefani said as the two laid in bed for the afternoon. "I want you to know that none of this was your fault. There was nothing any of us could have done. I don't blame you, and Daryl definitely doesn't blame you. We love you. You're my family now, too."

Stefani held onto the girl for the remainder of the day. Patricia came in with food, which Stefani barely touched. She was too busy thinking about everything that could have been differently. Sophia sat beside he, telling story after story about her days before the dead started walking. Stefani pretended to listen, nodding at all the appropriate times. She felt guilty for not listening, but she had too many 'ifs' running through her head.

She tried to tell herself that this was a blessing in disguise. No child should have to grow up in the world they were living in. Sophia and Carl at least had memories of better times. It was selfish to think that she could have it all: the man, child, happy family. Others were losing too much, and now it was her turn.

The sun came and went, but not once had she seen Daryl since the night before. She knew that he was grieving in his own way. There was a tightness in her chest with his absence. She had meant what she said to Sophia, it wasn't the girl's fault, but maybe it really was Stefani's. A part of her blamed herself, but she never heard Daryl say anything different.


	25. Chapter 25

**I want to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter. It was a really difficult on for me to write and I'm glad that so many of you like it. As of an hour ago, I'm starting on the last chapter of this story. There are going to be three more after this. I hope everyone enjoys this update and is looking forward to the conclusion of this story...I do plan on making a sequel. Please remember to review!**

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Stefani looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. It was disgusting to look at herself now. Before there had been a slight glow to her skin, some meat on her bones, and her curls were healthy. Now she was a hollowed out shell. If she stumbled out of the woods, she'd been shot down in a second, mistaken for a walker. It had been near a week and she was finally feeling a little more like herself, even if her body didn't reflect it.

She had heard about what was going on with the group through what little Sophia understood and the visits Lori made daily. There was a strange shift in the woman. Suddenly she was softer towards Stefani. She didn't try to understand it, just let it happen. There were bigger things that were plaguing her mind at the moment. Like the fact that she still hadn't seen Daryl since that first day.

"Well, look at who is finally on her feet again." T-Dog called as Stefani joined the group. She smiled, stepping into their small circle and feeling Shane slip an arm around her shoulders.

"You feeling better already?" He asked her quietly, taking in her appearance.

"Not a hundred percent, but better. How's your face?" She smirked as she pushed a little too hard on a fading bruise.

"You had us worried, Stef? Thought you were hold up there on your death bed." Andrea said as she looked at the brunette carefully. "Was it something you ate?"

"Probably a bad squirrel." Glenn said with a chuckle. Stefani forced a smile, but didn't say anything else on the matter.

"What were you talking about?" She said to change the subject.

"Randall."

"So what are you going to do? I think we'd all feel better if there was a plan." Lori said, glancing over to her husband.

"Is there a plan?" Andrea spoke up again.

"We'll know soon enough." Rick said as he motioned to where Daryl was joining the group.

Stefani felt her heart quicken just at the sight of him. She had to fight the urge to run into his arms weeping, thankfully she had Shane's embrace to ground her. When he was closer, she saw the subtle differences in him. It was obvious that he wasn't sleeping well, from the dark circles under his eyes and the weary expression on his face. But it was the sight of his bloodied knuckles that worried her the most.

"Boy there's got a gang. Thirty men, heavy artillery, and they ain't looking to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead and our women are gonna to wish they were." His gaze briefly met Stefani's before moving back to Rick.

"What did you do?" Sophia asked from her spot beside Carl.

"Had a little chat." Daryl told her, not giving her more than a quick glance.

"No one goes near this guy." Rick spoke up. Stefani finally pulled away from Shane and headed towards Daryl, but he was already walking away.

Daryl hated himself for walking away from her. He knew he was being stupid, but he wasn't ready to face her yet. It had been four days since he'd been with her last, four days since they'd lost the one thing that he was sure was keeping them together. He knew that it wouldn't take long for her to see what kind of man he really was. If he was being completely honest with himself, a small part of him was glad that the baby was gone.

"Did it hurt to punch the guy?" Carl asked as he and Sophia came into view. Daryl noticed how the little girl didn't look at him, at least not fully.

"I've been hurt worse. So have you buddy." He said, as the kids came closer.

"Can you teach me how to shoot that?" Carl asked with a nod towards his crossbow. Sophia stayed silent behind the boy. Daryl almost flinched away from the fear in her eyes as she finally met his.

"Your arm ain't long enough. Stick to guns, it takes less skill."

Sophia saw Stefani coming up behind Daryl, she took off and embraced the woman. Her arms stayed around her waist as she continued back to where the boys were still talking.

"Why don't you go find your old man, pester him." Daryl said as she stood up to face Stefani. Again Sophia shrank away from him following after her friend. "What the hell's her problem?"

"She's scared." Stefani said as she handed him a towel. "We're all scared."

"Of me?" He said softly, almost too soft for her to hear.

"Should we be?" Stefani took a step closer to him. "I know you're upset."

"Are we talking about feeling now? This had nothing to do with me. Rick asked for help, I stepped up."

"Yeah, way to take one for the team. Don't let him treat you like an attack dog, Daryl." Stefani moved closer to him. "You're better than that."

"You don't know a damn thing about me."

"And whose fault is that? Talking to you is like pulling teeth from a fucking walker. You don't want to tell me shit, fine. Then let me go. Take your friendship and whatever else we have. I'll survive without it."

"I don't need this from you."

"Don't pretend you don't care." Stefani sighed as he took a step away from him. "Everything else, fine I'll get over it. But don't you turn your back and pretend that you don't care about this group. You wanna be pissed at me, fine. But don't use me as an excuse to beat some poor kid's face in."

"I'm helping the group." Daryl yelled after her retreating form.

"Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. I think I liked you better when you hated everyone."

"I never hated you." She stopped then

"You never loved me either."

Stefani turned away and continued back towards the house. She was feeling dizzy and needed some time to rest. It was beginning to get too exhausting just to survive from day to day. Suddenly she remembered why all those months ago she thought it was a good idea to let him go. Having people in your heart only brought more pain.

"You should eat something." Lori said as she brought a plate into the living room on the Greene's farm. She smiled as she accepted the plate.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Stefani asked around a bite of food, she noticed Lori's stare and attempted to smile. "Sorry, but come on Lori. We weren't exactly besties."

"What happened that day…" Stefani noticed her hesitation. "It wasn't food poisoning was it?"

"No, but I don't want to talk about it."

"Did it hurt?" Lori's voice went soft as her hand reached for her belly.

"Yes," Stefani put the plate down and turned away from the woman. "Did you know, before?"

"I had my suspicions. Did Daryl?"

"Yes, he knew." The concerned look on the older brunette's face was enough to open the flood gates. Before Stefani knew what was happening, tears were falling down her face. "I think he blames me. He won't talk to me, and I know he wanted it. He'd never admit it, but when he listened to the little swoosh-swoosh of her heart, I think he wanted to be a dad. He would've been a good one."

"Honey, you just gotta give him time." Lori said as she wrapped an arm around her.

"I just wanna know what he'd thinking. It's not my fault. It's not, Lori. I tried so hard to take care of myself. I didn't mean for this to happen." Stefani pushed out of Lori's arms, furiously wiping at her eyes.

She turned to glance at Lori before getting up from the sofa. Grabbing the plate, Stefani headed back for the kitchen. It was nice to be able to talk to someone about it, but there was something strange about having this conversation with Lori. Jealousy overtook her, she knew that whatever god was watching over them would make sure her baby survived, while Stefani tried to forget she ever had one to lose. Taking a deep calming breath, she moved through the back door letting it slam behind her.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Daryl needed to get away. He found that the woods were the only place he could get any peace. Stefani's words were still ringing in his ears. He wasn't strong enough to let her go, but he also wasn't strong enough to have her walk away from him either. All he needed was time. He needed to get his head on straight and figure out what he had to offer her. Before there was this little life that was connecting them, but not all they have is each other. He wasn't sure if that was enough for her. He let out a frustrated sigh when he was Dale approaching his camp.

"The point of me coming up here was to get away from you people."

"It's gonna take more than that." Dale said as he finally came to a stop. Daryl never stopped prepping his arrows.

"Did Stefani send you?"

"She's not the only one concerned about you, or your new role in the group."

"I don't need my head shrunk. This group's broken. I'm better off fending for myself." He said as he reached for his jacket.

"You're acting like you don't care."

"Yeah, it's cause I don't."

"So live or die, you don't care what happens to Randall?" After receiving the negative from the redneck, Dale continued. "Then why not stand with me, try to save the kids life, if it really doesn't matter one way or another?"

"I didn't peg you for a desperate son of a bitch."

"Your opinion makes a difference."

"Ain't nobody looking to me for nothing." Daryl said as he began to walk away.

"Stefani is, and I am right now. And you obviously have Rick's ear."

"Rick looks to Shane, let him."

"You cared about what happened to Carol. That little girl's mother mattered to you. And Stefani, she loves you and you're just too stubborn to take it. Torturing people, that isn't you. You're a decent man. So is Rick. Shane is different."

"Why, cause he killed Otis?"

"He tell you that…or Stefani?"

"He told some story. How Otis covered him, saved his ass. He came back with a dead man's gun. Rick ain't stupid. He didn't figure that out because he didn't wanna. Like I said, the group's broken."

With that he moved into the trees, thankful once again for the peace the woods offered. He needed to think through everything. Dale was right, Rick was looking to him for help and he knew it had something to do with Shane. He wasn't sure he was ready for any more responsibility within the group. He had enough trouble keeping Stefani and Sophia safe without placing the entire group on his shoulders. It was easier not to care.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"Carl, we shouldn't be here." Sophia said as she near Daryl's tent. It wasn't that long ago that this campsite felt like home, not it was like a strangers.

"He's your friend, he won't mind." Carl tried to reassure her.

"Yes he will. I've never been here without him, or Stefani. Please, can we just head back?"

"He's a good dad." Carl said as he held the handles of the motorcycle. "You're lucky he's nice to you."

"He's okay, I guess." Sophia sighed, "But he'll kill us both if he knew you were going through his things."

Carl slipped the gun in the waistband of his pants before turning back to his friend. "Come on, let's head into the woods."

With a roll of her eyes and an exasperated sigh, Sophia followed. She glanced behind her once more, taking in the campsite. She wished she wasn't so afraid of the man that she was beginning to see as a father, but lately he was different. Her heart yearned to have him hold her again. She moved faster when she heard Carl's voice call out for her.

She caught up with him, and in that instant she felt all the blood in her body run cold. The scream caught in her thought as he hands flew to her mouth. She reached out for Carl as he moved closer to the walker stuck in the marsh. Her voice wouldn't work, and she was frozen to the spot as she watched her friend move around the mud to the other side of the monster. She had to admit it was strange seeing one so close and not having to run in fear. That was until she did. Carl got too close and the walker broke free, the next thing she knew he was running back to her, taking her hand and moving back towards the group.

"Hey, there you are." Stefani smiled as she slapped at Carl's hat making it fall over his eyes. Sophia wrapped her arms around the woman as they headed for the house. "Is everything okay?"

Sophia looked at Carl before opening her mouth, but he beat her to the explanation. "Fine, we were just walking around the farm."

"Alright, come on. Everyone's inside, why don't you two go sit with Jimmy and Beth." Stefani watched the two whisper to each other as they moved further in the house. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another figure approaching the house. Daryl barely glanced at her before moving up the porch steps. Stefani made a choice right there, she wasn't going to let him push her away. He wanted to fight, she'd give him a fight.

"What the hell is your problem?" She said standing up to him.

"Don't do this, Stefani." He spoke so calmly it only fueled her desire to get a rise out of him.

"Don't do what? Don't talk to you, don't worry about you? I know you're hurting…"

"You don't. Stefani you don't know a damn thing."

"Did the life growing inside of you die? Did you have to lay there while your baby bled out of you? I was doubled over in pain for hours because my body was rejecting my baby."

"Our baby." His voice was soft compared to the growing volume of hers.

"Was it? Where were you? I haven't seen you in days. Instead you're beating some kids face to a pulp. Would it kill you to be with me, with Sophia? You asked if she was afraid of you, well she is. So am I, this isn't you. I thought we'd gotten past this."

"You think I don't care? That was my kid inside you. All I think about is what I could've done to protect you. If you told me earlier maybe we could've fed you better, kept you inside. You're mine to look after and I fucked that up. How many times have you almost died because I wasn't there? "

"Daryl," Stefani sighed, stepping into him and taking his face in her hands. "I don't need you to protect me all the time. I'm a big girl. All I want is for you to is for you to be with me, when you can. Don't run away when things get too tough, talk to me."

"What do want me to say?" His voice sounded almost pained as he pulled out of her touch.

"Why do you want to be with me?"

"Because you're sexy as hell and are one of the only women that can make me laugh. I like having you around."

"Do you love me?" She took a step closer to him. "I need to hear you say it. I need to know that you love me and don't blame me for what happened."

"I don't, Stef." He took her cheek in his hand, rubbing at the tear that fell from her eyes. "You did what you thought was right. I don't blame you for nothing." He kissed her forehead, lingering for a minute. It had been too long since he'd touched her.

"I hate when you push me away." She stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I love you, even if you don't believe me half the time."

Daryl leaned down and captured her lips. His hand wrapped around the side of her neck, pulling her closer to him. Stefani fisted the back of his shirt, loving the feel of his heart pounding against hers. When he broke away from her, Stefani kept her hold on him. He rested his forehead against hers, before placing a kiss there. "Come on, they'll want us at the house soon."

He pulled his jacket off and wrapped it around her small shoulders, pulling it tight across her chest. She looked so small in his clothes, it brought a smile to his face. Using the grip he had on the jacket and vest, he pulled her closer to him again, kissing him deeply. She let out a moan as she opened her mouth for him to enter. "I do love you, Stef."

Smiling, Stefani pulled away from him, taking his hand she dragged him the rest of the way into the house. They stood off to the side, behind the majority of the group. Stefani was slightly surprised when she felt his arm come around her hip, pulling her back against him. She felt an uncomfortable pang in her gut at the placement, but the second his thump began running circles over the sliver of exposed skin, all her worry washed away.

She barely focused on what the group was saying as her relaxed against the man behind her. It became painfully obvious that she would follow him to the end of the earth if it meant that he could be with her. From his arms, she watched the people around her. It was a tough decision, but she knew where she stood. Occasionally her eyes would lock with her brother's and she would give him a reassuring smile. It felt strange when they were all on the same side.

She found herself listening to Daryl as he occasionally put in his thoughts. It amazed her how much things had changed for him in the group, and it even felt better know that it was just because of their relationship, but because of the man he had become. Carefully, she turned in his arms and placed a chaste kiss against his neck. Even if he didn't need it, she wanted him to know that she had his back no matter what.

"You're right, this group is broken." Dale said as he walked out of the room, placing a hand against Daryl's shoulder.

"What did he mean by that?" Stefani asked as he moved into his side and followed Daryl out of the house.

"Nothing. I want you and Sophia to stay with the group tonight, while I help Rick. Keep her with you, I don't want her to hear the shot."

"She's not afraid of you, Daryl. She loves you,too. You're making the right decision for your family."

As if she knowing who they were talking about, Sophia came out of the house. She hesitated for a split second, before taking Daryl's other hand. He stopped and looked down at the girl before reaching down to take her into his arms. Sophia's apprehension washed away as she put her arms around his shoulders and buried her face against his neck. She whispered a soft sorry, which only caused Daryl to place a reassuring kiss against the side of her head.

"You stay here with Stef. I'll be back later." Stefani gave him one last kiss on the lips before she took the girl into her arms and watched him walk away.

For a brief moment she met Shane's eyes. There was something different there. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something in his eyes sent a chill down her spine. Looking away, Stefani steered Sophia to the fire. It was a strange feeling, all of them sitting there together. It was almost as if nothing was different, like three of their men weren't in the barn executing another living person not but a hundred yards away.

At every little noise, Stefani felt herself tense. She was waiting for the gunshot. The sound that said that it was all over, but it never came. Her head shot up as she saw Rick and Carl coming back to the camp. It was obvious the boy was in trouble, but Stefani couldn't even think of what he'd done now. Sophia followed her friend into his tent.

"We're keeping him in custody, for now." Rick announced to the group.

"I'll go find Dale." Andrea said with a small smile, knowing the older man would be pleased with the news.

Stefani stayed seated, waiting for Daryl to come back. It was strange to think that he played such a big role in the group. Before she would practically have to force him to sit around the same fire pit as everyone else, and now he was the one that she was waiting on. A small smile spread across her face at the thought of him.

The smile was wiped away quickly as she heard screams coming from the fields. Everyone jumped into action, Lori telling Carl and Sophia to run to the house. Stefani was already checking to make sure her knives were on her before running after Rick and Andrea. Her pace picked up when she heard Daryl call them over, her heart pounding loudly in her chest.

The group fell to their knees as they saw Dale torn wide open by a walker. Stefani moved into Daryl's arms as hot tears rolled down her face. She heard Sophia's gasp before she even realized the girl had followed them. She flung her arms around Stefani, crying into her chest. The woman made sure Sophia was securely held against her when she saw Rick take out his gun.

Daryl surprised her when he pulled out of her grasp, moving to where Rick and Shane stood. Stefani couldn't help but think about how perfect he seemed to fit between the two. She gave a reassuring nod as he reached for Rick's gun. She refused to take her eyes off of him, only blinking when he pulled the trigger.


	26. Chapter 26

"Are you okay with this?" Stefani asked as Daryl sat up on the cot they were sharing. She reached out and ran a hand down his back, waiting to hear his response.

"It's what Rick wants." He said, turning to give her a small smile. "Not my place to say anything else."

"You could. He'd listen. I love my brother, with all my heart I love that man, but something is wrong. He's not himself, and Rick knows that. Shane wants Randall dead, but so do a lot of other people. He's dangerous."

"So is Shane." He told her honestly, hoping she wouldn't take it too personally.

"I know." She sighed running her hands over her face as she turned away from him. "I'm going to talk to him. Be careful out there, checking on the fences. Don't forget that I need you to come back."

He leaned in and kissed her, falling half on top of her. His hand ran up her side, moving from her rib cage up and over her chest. Stefani moved as his hand gave her breast a squeeze. She pushed him away gently, staring into his clear blue eyes. "Don't start something you can't finish."

"They'll wait." He said as he dipped his head again, but Stefani turned away. "What wrong?"

"We can't, not for a while." She sighed.

"You still in pain?" He asked, carefully placing his hand on her now flat stomach.

"No, it's not that. I just…I'm not ready. I'm sorry, I'm not punishing you." She sighed and turned away from him. He reached out for her, pulling her closer to him.

"Hey, we don't got to. It ain't just sex, remember. I love you."

Stefani couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips at the nonchalant way he said those three monumental words. She reached up and cupped his face before pulling him in for another kiss. "I love you too. Now get out of here, sooner you leave, faster you get back to me and I can stop worrying so much."

Stefani spent the rest of the morning, helping everyone clean up the camp. Sophia and her had Daryl's camp packed up quickly and were now helping with the others. It was strange moving around the RV without seeing Dale up there keeping an eye on everyone. There was a somber mood around the whole group. They had lost someone important to the group, a father figure none of them really knew they needed until he was gone.

She didn't find any time to talk to Shane until they were moving everyone up to the farm house. Sophia picked a small corner in the living room, one that the two girls could share easily and Daryl could too when he wasn't on watch duty. It was going to be hard sharing him with the group, but it was for the better. She always felt safer when he was looking out for them.

Shane was on the windmill putting up a platform to stand on. Stefani passed Lori on her way over, the women sharing a smile as they passed. Stefani prayed the brunette hadn't put him in a bad mood, because the last thing she wanted was a fight with her brother.

"Hey, you got a minute?" She called out as she leaned against his car. "You know, I always saw this as a getaway car. One night we'd just pack it up and leave without looking back. Nothing could stop the Walsh kids." She smiled when she saw him stop next to her.

"What's up, Fani?" He sounded more put out than she would have liked, it was getting harder and harder to talk to him lately.

"I wanted to see what was going on with you. We haven't talked much and it's probably more my fault than yours." She turned to give him a sad smile. "I'm sorry."

"You know you always do get caught up in a guy when you're in that honeymoon stage. I'm use to coming in second to whatever guys got you all hot and bothered." Stefani swallowed thickly to keep her temper at bay.

"I love him, Shane. I'm not hot and bothered; I'm in love with him. And he loves me, too." She sighed and turned to face him, reaching out to turn his head so that he was looking her in the eye. It always unnerved her when their identical eyes locked. "Shane, you gotta know that no man will ever push you down to second place. You're my blood. I love you above all else, no matter how much of a dick you're being." She leaned in to kiss his cheek before giving it a slight smack.

"Why'd you wanna leave, Stefani? One day you were begging to run away and the next you were clinging to Dixon like your life depended on it. What happened?"

"I got pregnant." She said quickly. She turned to see the shocked look on his face and the way his eyes moved directly to her stomach. "I lost it. That mystery bug, I had a miscarriage, a pretty bad one."

"Stef," he sighed, pulling her into his arms tightly. She felt a tear slip from her eyes as his hand ran down her hair in that loving way she missed so much. "I'm so sorry, darlin."

"It's okay, we got through it. It would have caused so many problems anyway. This is better, safer." She smiled as she pulled away from him.

"I wish you'd told me." He sighed as they resumed their previous positions.

"I should've told you a lot of things, but you keep secrets too. I want you to be able to trust me, Shane. We're all we have in the world no matter what, I'd die for you. But that's only if you let me in. This chip on your shoulder bullshit is driving me crazy. You're all over the place and I don't know how to help you."

"I don't need your help, Stefani. I'm looking out for the group. You should know that's all I'm trying to do, all I've ever been doing is making sure you were okay. You and everyone else with us."

"I know, you just have a fucked up way of showing it sometimes." She turned and wrapped her arms around him, breathing in his scent, the smell of home. "Promise when this Randall shit is taken care of, you'll cool off a little. Fighting Rick at every turn isn't gonna to get you the results you want and you know that. Promise me you'll take a step back."

His grip on her tightened as he placed a kiss to the side of her head. "No man will ever be good enough for you, you know that." Shane finally said. "You're too good a woman for the sons a bitches you always fall for. You're like mom, in that sense. Dad and me, we're cut from the same cloth. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but you're always there giving it away." Again he placed a kiss on her forehead before pulling away from her.

"I love you, you asshole. No matter what, you're mine." She reached out and playfully punched him in the arm, putting a little more force than necessary behind it. "I'll see you back at the house."

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Rick and Daryl stood on the porch, discussing the plans for the trip to take Randall out went quickly. There wasn't much resistance, which was different for Rick. Daryl seemed to take a plan and run with it, only putting his two cents in when he knew it was risky to begin with. He was starting to see what Stefani seemed to know from the beginning. Daryl was a good guy when given the chance.

"That thing you did last night…" Rick began.

"No reason you should do all the heavy lifting." Daryl said as he shrugged off the thanks Rick was giving him.

"I may be relying on you a little more after we get settled in. You think you can handle that?" Rick asked as he watched the man next to him carefully.

"I ain't got nothing better to do."

"Few weeks ago, I said some things about you and Stefani." Rick started, not sure if he should even bring up the conversation again.

"You know, I've had a lot of those and honestly I don't give a fuck what people think about us. I love that woman, and she'd mine to protect. As long as she's happy with that, I don't see why it should matter to anyone else." Daryl said as he stood, preparing for any rebuttals from the former sheriff.

"I was just going to say that I was wrong. I've seen that way she is with you, and Sophia too. You're doing alright by them."

"Yeah, it ain't easy." Again he brushed off the compliment although it made him happy to know that Rick was finally okay with the relationship. They both caught a glance of Shane's car coming up to the house quickly and their moods shifted. "I'm going to check on them before we head out."

With that Daryl left, barely acknowledging the nod Shane sent his way when he got out of the car. Walking through the house, Daryl stopped to see Sophia kneeling down placing blanket upon blanket on the floor. His heart broke that he wasn't able to give the girl a proper bed to sleep on. In another life, he would have made sure she would never want for anything. He took another step closer, reaching down and throwing her over his shoulder. The squeal of laughter that left her brought smiles to everyone's face in the room. He turned around, making sure she spun just enough to make her laugh even harder. She was finally in his arms correctly when he looked around for Stefani.

"You seen your mom?" He asked, freezing when he the slip finally hit his ears. He was expecting a breakdown. For the little girl in his arms to come to tears and wail against him for even mentioning her dead mother, but it never gave. She barely flinched.

"I think she's outside." She said easily as she glanced around the room to make sure she was right. He stared at her with shock, even catching Lori and Maggie's stares from the other room as they watched the scene. "What?" Sophia asked, running her hand through her hair to make sure it wasn't sticking up.

"Nothing, come one. Let's go find her." Daryl said as he carried her out of the house.

"How come that girl gets carried everywhere when I'm the one that's dead on my feet half the time?" Stefani asked as she watched Daryl carry Sophia down the porch steps. "She's like your little rag doll."

"Are you making fun of me or this tooth pick here?" Daryl asked as he once again flung the girl over his shoulder.

"Both," Stefani said as she stepped up and brought the girl back to her feet. "You know you don't have to take that man handling from him. Just hit him back." Stefani said as she gave a good smack to his middle and winked at Sophia.

"Hey I'm about to go out into the unknown. Would it kill you two to be nice to me for once?" The slight pout he placed on his face brought both Stefani and Sophia to laughter. The little girl slipped out of his arms and moved closer to Stefani, smiling the whole way. "Fine, forget you both. I'll go out on my own without a care in the world. See how you feel about that." He said as he began walking off.

"Wait," Sophia yelled as she raced after him. "You gotta come back." She flung her arms around him, thankful when he knelt down to her level and returned the embrace.

"Listen, about what I said earlier."

"It's okay. Sometimes I like to pretend she is my mom. It actually makes it easier." She moved closer, hugging him tightly around the neck before speaking again. "I also think of you as my daddy too. So you gotta come back."

He held her tighter at her admission. In the back of his mind, he knew that's what he felt too. This little girl had weaseled her way into his heart months ago. If she was okay with it, than he could step up for her. She deserved to have a dad that treated her right after the shitty one she was stuck with all her life.

"Alright, I'm missing something here." Stefani said as she came away from the porch and stood next to the two close to the ground. "What's going on?"

"Daryl said I could start calling him Daddy." Sophia beamed, laughing a little at the grimace on his face.

"Oh did he, now?" Stefani smiled as she pulled the girl against her. "I think that fits him, don't you?"

Daryl softened when he saw the look in Stefani's eyes. He knew she was thinking about their baby, he could always see it clear on her face. There was always a slight moisture to her dark eyes, a glistening that wasn't there normally. She would bite the inside of her lower lip, holding back cries. He knew it, because he would do the same. Little things would bring back the memory that he was going to be a dad, that he created another life and it was growing inside of her. In a few short strides he was taking her by the neck and pulling her against his chest. They didn't need to start a family from scratch when they had a child to take care of already. Sophia was one of the only reasons they were moving on from the loss.

"Be careful, babe." She said against his neck, leaning up to place a quick kiss to his lips. "We'll save you some dinner for when you get back."

The two headed back in the house, while Daryl helped T-Dog finish packing up the truck. Daryl watched them leave with a smile on his face, one he couldn't bring himself wipe away. T's laughter next to him was the only thing bringing him back to reality.

"What're you laughing at?" Daryl asked with a little more bite than necessary.

"Nothing, man, just never pegged you for the family man."

"Shut up, or you're gonna get an arrow in the ass."

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Stefani didn't know what to think as she stood outside the shed Randall had last been seen in. A nagging voice in the back of her head told her what had happened, but she was too loyal to voice the opinion. Shane was the only one not here, and he was the most adamant about killing the boy. Her eyes locked with Daryl and she knew he was thinking the same thing. For what felt like the millionth time, her eyes filled with tears. Rick would kill him if he found out it was Shane that did this. Her brother than crossed a line that there was no going back from.

"Rick, Rick!" Shane called from the tree line not far from the shed. Stefani had the immediate urge to run to him, hug him and then punch him in the face.

"What happened?" She asked instead, taking a few careful steps towards him. Her hand reaching out for his broken face, but he brushed passed her with angry strides.

"He's armed, got my gun?"

"Are you okay?" Carl asked as Shane finally got close enough for the rest of the group to see his wounds.

"I'm fine. The little bastard just snuck up on me, clocked me in the face."

"Alright, Hershel, T-Dog get everyone back in the house. Glenn, Daryl you're with us."

"T, I need that gun." Shane said as he moved closer. Stefani reached out, taking her gun out of her waistband and handing it to him. He gave her a reassuring nod, and squeezed her hand before taking the weapon from her.

"Just let him go." Sophia's small voice said through the commotion. "Wasn't that the plan, to just let him go?"

"The plan was to let him go far away from here. Not on our front step with a gun." Rick said harshly, but the little girl didn't let up. It was clear to Stefani that she was trying to reach out to Daryl.

"Don't go out there. You don't know what will happen."

Stefani pulled the girl against her, rushing her back to the house. She was surprised Daryl had the strength to not even turn around. Keeping the trembling girl close to her, Stefani followed the rest of the group back. Her stomach was in knots. She couldn't help thinking that one of them, if not more wouldn't be coming back to the house by morning. It was terrible for her to think, but a little part of her hoped that it wasn't Shane, and for the girl in her arms it wasn't Daryl either. The others would hurt, but those two being gone forever would tear a piece of her apart.

"He's gonna come back." Sophia said with conviction as they sat on the couch, the sun setting behind the blinds. "He has too. Just like Rick always comes back for Carl, he'll come back for me."

"Yeah, sweetheart." Stefani said with a kiss to the girl's head. "He's a good man like that. He's gonna be a good dad for you and that means he'll fight like hell to always come back."

Stefani didn't mean to, but her entire body flinched when she heard the shot go off. She wasn't sure who had taken the bullet, but the piercing it caused in her heart was enough to immobilize her, almost as if taking the shot herself. Glancing at the others' shocked expressions around the room, Stefani let tears well up in her eyes, but never fall. She wasn't going to cry for someone she wasn't sure was gone. Her family would come back to her, they had too.


End file.
